Forage comforting tea from forest, fields

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A glass of hot lemon-balm tea stands next to a pint of cold rose-hip tea. Both teas were brewed using ingredients from plants growing nearby.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Dried wintergreen leaves are sealed in a plastic freezer bag. Tea ingredients can also be vacuum-sealed if they are to be stored for long periods of time.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Labrador tea leaves are dried and stored in a glass jar with a tight seal. Herbal-tea ingredients should be stored away from direct sunlight in a cool, dry spot.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Wintergreen leaves curl as they dry on a plate.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Labrador tea leaves curl while drying on a plate. Novice foragers should learn from others with experience to avoid look-alike plants that can cause harm.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Lemon-balm leaves dry attached to stalks. The leaves are removed from their stalks and stems before packing for storage. Plants like lemon balm are easily propagated in many yards and gardens.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Dried sweet-fern leaves curl next to dried sweet-gale leaves. Both leaves have multiple uses, including medicines used by some.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Freshly picked Labrador tea leaves show bright-green surfaces. The underpart of the leaves is covered by soft hair-like growth. The delicate plants are often protected by foragers who have developed a relationship with them through the years.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Waxy freshly picked wintergreen leaves await drying. Each plant only has a few leaves so it’s important to pick only one from each. Tea brewed from the leaves is a refreshing winter treat.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Freshly picked sweet fern is arranged for drying next to freshly picked sweet-gale leaves. Sweet fern is often found near wild blueberries in sandy soil while sweet gale is found near lakes and streams. Often the uses for common plants that grow nearby have been lost or forgotten.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Bright-red kinnikinnick berries, sometimes called bearberry, peek from behind green leaves. The red berries are sometimes confused by novice foragers for wintergreen or partridge berries.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Bright-red wintergreen berries hide under waxy green leaves. The berries are shaped like tiny apples and are edible. The berries are easily confused with partridge berries and kinnikinnick berries by novice foragers.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Lush lemon-balm plants in pots wait to be added to gardens. Some who are uncomfortable foraging for wild tea ingredients find joy and connection to the land by growing domesticated herbs for tea, seasoning and medicine.

Jason Maloney/For Agri-View

Jason Maloney For Agri-View

Winter is a time for many to congregate with family and friends in convivial surroundings. With field work finished and firewood stacked, some gather near a wood stove or fireplace. For others, candlelight brings out stories and family history. Many share meals followed by confections. But for all winter gatherings the most appreciated element is a hot drink to warm the body and sooth the mind.

Jason Maloney mug — Jason Maloney and Red

Jason Maloney from Washburn in northern Wisconsin lives between Lake Superior and the orchards and farms of Bayfield County. The retired soldier and educator grew up on a family farm in Marinette County.