HOW TO MAKE CHAMOMILE TEA WITH FRESH FLOWERS

First you'll want to pick a pot to make your tea in. An infuser teapot, as pictured, is ideal. If you don't have a tea infuser, you can use a doubled-over cheese cloth and a piece of string to make a makeshift tea bag. You can even place your flowers into a heat-safe bowl or cup and, after steeping, pour your tea into your teacup through a fine mesh strainer.

Once you've selected a pot, you'll want to harvest your herbs. For the chamomile flowers, it's ideal to use them the same day they are harvested, as the delicate petals have a short shelf life. Otherwise, they can last a couple of days in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with a lightly dampened paper towel. To prepare the chamomile for use, pop the head of the flower off the stem. They can even be harvested this way, so that they are immediately ready for use. For the mint, select a small sprig about the size of a quarter off the tender top of the plant. I selected a variety of mint called apple mint because fresh chamomile also has apple undertones, so they complement each other perfectly. Peppermint is also delicious.

Fill up your tea kettle with 8 oz of water and begin heating. Place 3-4 Tbsp (4 Tbsp for a stronger tea) of chamomile and your mint sprig into your teapot or makeshift teabag of choice.

Pour 8 oz of boiling water over the chamomile flowers and mint and then steep for 5 minutes. To serve, pour into a teacup, using a fine mesh strainer as needed.