The recipe shelf

Measured cups, written down honestly

Each recipe below lists the dried botanicals, a ratio per cup, the water temperature, and how long we steep. Read them as flavour experiments to enjoy — never as advice about your wellbeing.

Reader favourite Three glass cups of herbal infusion in ruby, gold, and pale green tones arranged on a stone surface
Start here

Rosehip, hibiscus & apple cooler

Our most-read recipe and a friendly first brew. Tart, deeply coloured, and forgiving if you lose track of the timer by a minute.

  • Ratio2 tsp dried rosehip, 1 tsp hibiscus, a small handful of dried apple per 250 ml.
  • WaterFreshly boiled, around 100°C.
  • Steep7 minutes, then strain. Serve hot, or chill over ice for a tangy summer glass.
The collection

More cups to try this season

Flavour-led recipes grouped loosely by mood rather than by claim. Pick whichever description sounds good today.

Bright start

Lemon balm & spearmint cooler

Grassy and cool. Steep 1 tbsp fresh-dried lemon balm with 1 tsp spearmint in 250 ml at 90°C for 6 minutes, then pour over ice.

90°C 6 min Serve cold
Quiet evening

Chamomile, honeybush & vanilla

Round and softly sweet. Combine 2 tsp chamomile, 1 tsp honeybush, and a sliver of vanilla pod per cup. Steep 5 minutes at 95°C.

95°C 5 min Serve hot
Cool weather

Rooibos, orange peel & cinnamon

Woody and gently spiced. Use 2 tsp rooibos, 1 tsp dried orange peel, and a short cinnamon shard. Steep 6 minutes at 100°C.

100°C 6 min Oat milk optional
Garden fresh

Nettle, lemongrass & mint

Green and savoury-edged. Steep 1 tbsp dried nettle with 1 tsp lemongrass and a few mint leaves at 95°C for 7 minutes.

95°C 7 min Serve hot
Floral

Rose petal & rooibos blush

Delicate and faintly sweet. Blend 2 tsp rooibos with 1 tsp dried rose petals per cup. Steep 5 minutes at 100°C and serve plain.

100°C 5 min Serve hot
Nutty

Toasted barley & chamomile

Comforting and caffeine-free. Steep 1 tbsp roasted barley with 1 tsp chamomile at 100°C for 8 minutes, then let it cool a little.

100°C 8 min Rest before serving
Brewing reference

A quick temperature & timing guide

A starting point, not a rulebook. Taste as you go and adjust to your own preference.

Suggested steeping by ingredient type
Ingredient type Water Steep Tasting note
Soft flowers (chamomile, rose) 95°C 4–5 min Gentle, floral, easy to over-steep
Leaves (mint, lemon balm, nettle) 90–95°C 6–7 min Fresh and green; brisk if left longer
Roots & bark (ginger, cinnamon) 100°C 8–10 min Deeper, warming, needs time to open
Fruit & hips (rosehip, hibiscus, apple) 100°C 7–8 min Tart and full-bodied; great chilled
Roasted grains (barley) 100°C 8 min Nutty and rounded, naturally caffeine-free
Method in detail

How we brew the barley & chamomile cup

Bring fresh water to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of roasted barley to your pot, pour the water over, and let it sit for five minutes before adding a teaspoon of chamomile for the final three. Strain, then let the cup rest until it is comfortably warm. The barley carries a toasty depth while the chamomile keeps it light.

Read about these ingredients
  • Yield1 large pot
  • Barley1 tbsp roasted
  • Chamomile1 tsp, added late
  • Total time~10 minutes
  • Best servedWarm, plain
Small habits

Three notes that improve almost any cup

Mind the water

Fresh, well-filtered water makes a noticeable difference. Re-boiled water tends to taste flat against delicate botanicals.

Set a timer

Guessing the steep usually means bitterness. A simple kitchen timer keeps each cup consistent with the last.

Taste before you sweeten

Many herbal cups are naturally rounded. Try a sip first; you may find you reach for honey or sugar far less often.

These recipes are shared for general information and the simple enjoyment of brewing. They are not advice of any kind and make no claim about your health. If you have allergies, are pregnant, or take medication, speak with a qualified professional before adding new ingredients to your routine.

Curious about an ingredient?

Read the notes behind every botanical

Our ingredient guide describes how each leaf, root, and petal behaves in the cup, where we source it, and which flavours it pairs with.

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