FarmaCOPEia: Some tasty twists on Pond Water Tea

Pond Water Tea

​Image via AS Phillips

​A while back, By the Way featured a post on Pond Water Tea (click here to see it). Since introducing this simple, easy-to-forage-ingredients-for beverage, it’s become a favorite of some of my friends. I wanted to share a short, updated version of it with you today. We’ve been making some tasty twists to the tea that we’re loving!

Pond Water Tea is versatile and easy to make with, or without, a lawn full of herbs and veggies. If you have to purchase ingredients for it, they can be inexpensive and organic, especially if you buy them from a farmers’ market.

Foraging for the ingredients and mixing the liquids has become a favorite activity for some of the kids I’ve worked with. During the treasure hunt, they pick what ingredients they want to use in their tea. While they’re at it, they learn about the plants they find in regards to how, when and where they grow. It’s a win-win all the way around!

As of May...

​The arrival of spring has got our lawn sprouting cilantro, dandelions, wild violets and strawberries. Ramsey (my lavender bush, a birthday gift from 2016) has woken up from hibernation and is looking handsome as ever, and my sister’s Rosemary plant is also thriving.

All of these are easy to forage--no tools required. We don’t use any inorganic chemicals on our lawn and garden, but we still wash the foraged ingredients well before adding them to the glass container for cold steeping. Most herbs won’t need to be chopped. Larger-sized fruits and veg will need to be sliced, may need to be sliced.

Remember, the larger the pieces, the easier they are to remove from the container after their infusion abilities are spent. Sometimes poking some holes into the ingredients is all that’s needed.

Any fruit or veg you like can be an ingredient. Below is a list of some of my favorite ingredients, just to give you some ideas when making your own.

​​​
​? Apples
? Berries
? Celery
? Cilantro
? Cucumber
? Dandelions
​? Dill
? Ginger
? Lemon
? Pomegranate
? Tangerine
? Watermelon

Cilantro, wild strawberries and lavender sprigs picked from our lawn

Image via AS Phillips

Image via AS Phillips

​When your jar has all the solid ingredients you want to use, you can add the liquid ingredients.

My preference is to use about 2/3rds water to 1 part of a mixture of vinegar (white or cider--either work) and fruit juice. Most of the time I use unsweetened apple juice, but other juices work great too. We lean toward unsweetened juices to avoid high fructose corn syrup and other processed sweeteners.

Once it’s all together, you can let it steep a while in your fridge, or serve it immediately. Room temp is good. Over ice is GREAT! 

The ingredients will continue to enhance several refills of fluid but should be discarded within a few days, when they’re no longer flavoring the drink or look physically spent. 

We turn our spent ingredients into mulch. ?

6  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. 8  But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.
1 Timothy 6: 6-8
(World Messianic Bible)

Thank you for visiting and I hope you found today's edition to be both interesting and inspiring!
If you've made any personalized blends of Pond Water Tea, please share what ingredients and if you were happy with the results, in the comments. Your input is always appreciated!

'Til next time,

​Shalom