Any tips on brewing fennel tea?
#35540 - 01/06/04 03:01 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just purchased Heather's fennel Tummy Tea - however, when I made it, it took me 3 hours to drink it because the seeds were all floating on top and made it difficult to drink. If I'm missing something really obvious as far as correct preparation, could someone please help me out?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Mash It All Down
#35549 - 01/06/04 03:31 PM
|
|
|
|
Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
|
|
|
I recall Heather mentioning using a mortar and pestle (pestal?) -- you know that little ceramic mashing thingymabob -- to make it all mashed down, getting the full benefit of the fennel.
Do a search -- you'll find a lot of stuff in here about brewing the fennel. I hate the stuff -- the taste really does me in -- so I buy "Tummy Mint" in the tea bags of fennel and peppermint -- no brewing needed! -- it's not as intense and doesn't work as well as what you've got going there, but I don't need no mortar and pestill!!! 
--------------------
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Pretend the fennel seeds are loose leaf tea. Brew them in any kind of big tea ball or mesh strainer just like you would brew loose tea. You don't have to crush them with a mortar and pestle - that just makes the tea a little stronger. But even if you crush the seeds, you still need to put them in a strainer to brew them. No need to have loose seeds floating around - yuck!
And for Bev...you can mix the fennel and peppermint together in a strainer, then brew. That really helps hide the fennel taste if you don't like it. If you brew with loose teas, the results will be MUCH stronger than brewing from tea bags, because you're starting with a larger leaf, higher volatile oil herb. Stronger tea means more effective results for IBS symptoms!
- H
--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
LOL...thanks, Heather! It should have been obvious to me, I know, but I've never brewed tea in any form other than teabags before, so I'm still pretty dumb when it comes to this stuff. I'll get a tea strainer today....that tea was pretty crunchy, otherwise, LOL. 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bev - thanks for the info. I'm going to get a mortar and pestle anyway (I can use it for other things as well as the tea).... I know what you mean about the taste - my husband wanted to try the tea, took one sip, and went to pour it out. I ended up drinking it because I didn't want to waste it, but as I'd mentioned earlier it took me forever to drink it (I'm such a dork). Thanks for the Mint/Fennel tea combo idea as well. That might be a little more palatable, lol.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi there, I also found that using a coffee filter and a twistie or twist tie to close it up (with tea inside) worked great with loose tea. The little makeshift tea strainer just floats in your cup as you brew it. I found some tea strainers to leak the leaves out too much and this has been very cheap to do. I pack some to take with me so I can brew tea like this at work.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I FIND THIS INTERESTING ABOUT THE TEA. I HAVE JUST ORDERED YOUR BOOK, THE TEA AND PEPPERMINT SUPPLEMENT. I AM NEW TO ALL THIS. I HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE TO TRY AND CORRECT MY PROBLEM BUT TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE SCOPES, COLONOSCOPIES, ETC., ETC., I HAVE THE PAIN, BUT I HAVE EXTREME THROWING UP AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. IT JUST HITS ME AND THEN I GET PAIN. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING YOUR BOOK, HEATHER, AND TRYING ALL THE THINGS YOU RECOMMEND AS I HAVE LIVED AN ALTERED LIFE AND ALMOST SCARED TO GO ANYWHERE, DUE TO THE GETTING SO SICK AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES. GRADY 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
WELCOME GRADY!
#35769 - 01/07/04 06:37 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
|
|
|
First of all, welcome to the boards, Grady. You'll get a lot of help and support here. I don't understand what you mean, you "have been everywhere to try to correct [your] problem?" I assume you mean to a GI and had the colonoscopy, etc.? What were the results?
Have you begun changing your diet yet? Are you taking any supplements? Have you cut out coffee, alcohol, dairy, red meat? Are you eating insolubles without having the soluble first?
The guidelines in Heather's book are right on -- once you begin following them you should start feeling better very soon. And the help you will get here will be invaluable, Grady, so don't despair. I started feeling much better once I stuck STRICTLY to the program. Read Heather's book tonight -- you'll feel better in the morning!
Bev
--------------------
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
