Fields of lavender
lavendar farm image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
Items you will need
- Glass eye dropper
- Glass or metal pitcher, 2 quart or larger
- Saucepan, 2 quart or larger
- Wooden or metal kitchen spoon
- Tea kettle, 2 quart or larger
- Lavender therapeutic essential oil
- Spearmint therapeutic essential oil
- Bergamot therapeutic essential oil
- 2 quarts prepared lemonade
- 2 quarts prepared hot chocolate
- 5 tsp. black tea
- 1 lemon, sliced thin
Essential oils are made by pressing or distilling plants. These oils are very potent and should never be used without diluting them in water, oil or alcohol. Many essential oils are harmful if taken internally. Check that an essential oil is safe to use for flavoring food or drinks before using. Purchase essentials oils for flavoring drinks from a registered pharmacist. Essential oils can breakdown harmful chemicals in plastics, so use only glass or metal pitchers and metal or wooden spoons when working with essential oils.
Drinks Flavored with Essential Oils
Lemonade is always a refreshing drink. Give it a new twist with lavender essential oil. Pour one quart of prepared lemonade into a pitcher. Add one drop of lavender essential oil and stir. Add the remainder of the prepared lemonade and taste. Add one more drop of oil if the lavender flavor is weak. Stir well. Pour over ice and enjoy.
Hot chocolate flavored with mint increases the relaxing quality of this warming drink. Prepare hot chocolate in saucepan. Add one drop of spearmint essential oil. Stir well. Taste the hot chocolate. If the spearmint flavor seems weak add one more drop of oil. Stir well. Pour into mugs and enjoy.
Earl Grey tea gets its flavor and aroma from the citrus bergamot. Boil 5 cups of water. Rinse teapot with hot water. Measure 5 tsp. of loose black tea into pot. Dip a toothpick into the bergamot essential oil and drop it into the tea pot. Fill the pot with the boiled water and let the tea steep for 4 minutes. Remove the toothpick. Add at least 3 slices of lemon to the pot. Let tea set 1 minute more. Do not put the lemons in the pot until after the tea has steeped for at least 4 minutes as the lemon will inhibit the brewing of the tea. Pour into tea mugs and enjoy.
Tips
Essential oils are very potent. If you are unsure of how much to use, dip a toothpick in the oil and stir it into the drink. Taste. Add more oil with the toothpick until you have the flavor you desire.
Warnings
Most companies sell essential oils for aromatherapy. They are meant to be diluted in oil, water or alcohol. Use extreme caution in using any essential oil in food or drinks. Make sure you are purchasing the true essential oil and not a synthetic cheaper substitute. For example, look for the true botanical name on the label. If the true botanical name is not present, it is probably not a pure essential oil.
Photo Credits
- lavendar farm image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
About the Author
Victoria Van Harlingen has been writing since she was editor of her high school newspaper. She has spent 20 years producing marketing and public relations work for various businesses and non-profit organizations. Her articles have appeared in several local print publications. Online credits include eHow and Answerbag.
