talk to me about caffeine

[Ambergris]

I started to say "tea," but that topic is so very broad. I have a tea camelia, but am not fond of the tea I get from it. So the news I might use yaupon holly really caught my attention. How do you prepare this? What's in it?

[CrabGrassAcres]

It does have caffeine as well as some other substances that help with bronchitis. It is very closely related to Yerba Matte. I'd say the caffeine is somewhere between black tea and coffee in strength. You won't get a hard jolt unless you brew it so dark that it isn't pleasant to drink.

 

 

To prepare, I pick the green leaves and promptly roast them on the stove in the same cast iron skillet I used for roasting coffee beans. It kind of messes up a skillet so don't use a good one. Roast them till most are just brown, not too dark. Steep the roasted leaves in water just off the boil. I like the flavor as is, but you can add mint too or other flavor herbs.

[Andrea]

You could try living without it.

[Ambergris]

Andrea, NOBODY would like the result. Thanks, CGA!

[CrabGrassAcres]

Do you have any bushes nearby, Amber?

[Ambergris]

Yaupon is very common in the area. I'd just need to identify the resources, now that I know they have a function.

[CrabGrassAcres]

Grows wild here too, right outside my door. Once you locate it, you can gather berries and make a privacy hedge with it.