As the season transitions and sniffles and congestion begin to replace the languid sighs of summer, it is the perfect time to brew a fresh pot of tasty medicinal thyme tea.
Thyme, a natural expectorant has been used medicinally for ages in the Mediterranean, England and Egypt as a tea to treat coughs, colds and bronchitis- ailments that tend to manifest in the Fall.
Thyme comes in many varieties, my favorite for tea being Lemon Thyme for it's lemony and zesty flavor.
There are many ways to prepare the tea, but I prefer to use fresh, not dried herb sprigs that I've gathered from my fire escape herb garden.
I pluck about five to seven sprigs for two cups of water. I boil my water first, then let the thyme seep for ten minutes in the boiled water.
If you have a toddler or young child with a cough (as cough syrup isn't safe for young children), you can take the same preparation and fill a small teacup halfway with the freshly prepared thyme tea. Add two teaspoons of honey and a teaspoon of Braggs apple cider vinegar then fill the other half of the teacup with orange juice. This is a wonderful cough and congestion remedy and it's tasty.