# Alternatives to Tea or Coffee



## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Eventually my supply will run out. I need alternatives. 

I know during the civil war they used acorns to make coffee stretch. Any suggestions?


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

I've heard of people using chicory as a coffee sub. You can make tea out of many, many things. I've grown chamomile for tea.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Don't use acorns!


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

hiwall said:


> Don't use acorns!


Because.....? :scratch


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Are you looking for caffeine or just something to drink? If just the drink, any herbal tea will do and easy to grow. I don’t believe any common hers contain any caffeine though.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I believe you can make tea from dandelion roots. I find it hard to believe that anyone will ever run out of dandelions!


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

I've harvested dandelion root for medicinal purposes, but never tried dandelion coffee though I hear it's pretty good - suppose to taste like coffee. You harvest the root, clean, chop, grind and roast. Recipes below in this link:

http://rosesprodigalgarden.org/articles/how to make roasted dandelion coffee.html

More on the curative value of daily use of dandelion root:

http://herballegacy.com/Chhabra_Medicinal.html


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## Momturtle (Nov 2, 2009)

Many types of herb tea but oh goodness, what about that caffeine? Well, depending on your locale, you can grow Camilia Sinensis (Tea) or Yaupon Holly, both of which contain caffeine. The holly tastes a bit like boiled sawdust but if you mixed it with other more pleasant herbs . . . might be OK or at least better. Chickory roots were toasted to a golden brown as was the dandelion roots. Dandelion roots are also good for headaches and an excellent kidney cleansing herb. Double up on benefits there.


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

Momturtle said:


> Well, depending on your locale, you can grow Camilia Sinensis (Tea) or Yaupon Holly, both of which contain caffeine.


Thanks for that info Momturtle :2thumb:

"The Yaupon (Vomitoria) is generally described as a perennial tree or shrub. This is native to the U.S. (United States) has its most active growth period in the spring and summer . Leaves are retained year to year. The Yaupon (Vomitoria) has a long life span relative to most other plant species and a slow growth rate. At maturity, the typical Yaupon (Vomitoria) will reach up to 25 feet high, with a maximum height at 20 years of 20 feet.

The Yaupon (Vomitoria) is easily found in nurseries, garden stores and other plant dealers and distributors. It can be propagated by bare root, container, seed. It has a slow ability to spread through seed production and the seedlings have low vigor. Note that cold stratification is not required for seed germination and the plant cannot survive exposure to temperatures below 7°F. has high tolerance to drought and restricted water conditions.
Uses of : Landscaping, Medicinal, Culinary, etc.

Ethnobotanic: Most if not all of the Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States including the Alabama, Cherokee, Creek, Natchez, and Seminole used Yaupon for medicinal as well as other purposes. A decoction was made from the leaves and shoots, called "black drink", which was used medicinally, ceremonially, and was also served as a social drink. The leaves and shoots, which contain caffeine, were roasted in an earthenware container over a fire, much like coffee beans are roasted. The black drink was drunk socially and offered to visitors to indicate friendly intensions. Its primary medicinal use was as an emetic, to induce vomiting and as a purgative or laxative. It was taken to cure "a tremor in the nerves." The drink was used in ceremonial medicine as an emetic to "clear out the system and produce ceremonial purity." In some tribes, women and boys were prohibited from imbibing the drink. The Florida Seminoles still brew a "black drink" for their annual Green Corn Dance, although it is not always made with Yaupon, but from other plants. The plant was also used as a hallucinogen to "evoke ecstasies." The bark was used to treat nightmares where the patient sees ghosts and talks during sleep. Sore eyes were treated with eyewash made by scraping off the inner bark and boiling it in water for several hours. The wood was used to make arrows and ramrods that were used in hunting and fishing. In addition to trading Yaupon with nearby neighbors, Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States probably increased the distribution of yaupon. There is evidence that they transplanted and cared for the trees (see Hammett 1992 for references).

Wildlife: The showy red berries of yaupon attract wildlife and are an important food for many songbirds, gamebirds and waterfowl. Bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, robins, yellow-shafted flickers, red-naped sapsuckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, white-throated sparrows and cedar waxwings are among the many songbirds that feed on the berries. Florida ducks, black ducks, mourning doves, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail and wild turkeys also consume the berries. Armadillos, black bears, gray foxes, western foxes, raccoons and skunks eat the fruits. White-tailed deer browse the foliage and twigs. The evergreen nature of the yaupon is important to wildlife as it provides cover during the winter months.

General Characteristics
General: Holly Family (Aquifoliaceae). Yaupon is a native, perennial, evergreen shrub or a small tree (8 m tall). The leathery leaf blades (1 to 2.5 cm long) are alternate, elliptical or oval with shallow teeth at the margins. The upper surface is a lustrous green with a lighter green lower surface. The leaves contain caffeine. *Yaupon is the only native plant in North America that contains caffeine.* Flowers (5 to 5.5 mm) with four greenish white petals appear from March through May. Blooms appear on axillary clusters on year-old wood. Male flowers appear in clusters while female flowers grow either solitarily or in pairs. Young stems are covered with a purplish down which changes to whitish gray with age. The bark is light in color, from white to gray. The heartwood is hard and close-grained. Female plants have beautiful, round fruits that are a translucent red (5 to 6 mm in diameter) and contain four nutlets. The fruits frequently stay on the bush until the following spring.

Required Growing Conditions
Yaupon occurs in the Coastal Plain of the Southeastern United States. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Habitat: Yaupon generally occurs in coastal areas in well-drained sandy soils. It can be found on the upper edges of brackish and salt marshes, sandy hammocks, coastal sand dunes, inner-dune depressions, sandhills, maritime forests, nontidal forested wetlands, well-drained forests and pine flatwoods.

Cultivation and Care
Yaupon is a picturesque tree with an upright stature and irregular branches. The plants may be used as screens, hedges and mass plantings. They make good specimen trees and can be espaliered or used as a topiary plant. The trees are one of the toughest of the hollies, easy to transplant, medium to fast growing and grow well on a variety of soils. They can grow in dry to fairly wet soils and are tolerant of salt spray. They make excellent plants for coastal areas but also do well a considerable distance from the coast. Yaupon is better adapted to warmer climates than other evergreen hollies. Be sure to include at least one male plant in order to insure adequate pollination for fruit set.

General Upkeep and Control
The tree commonly forms thickets by sending up suckers that sprout from the roots. The tree responds well to pruning and shearing. Limbs may be removed in order to expose the bark which is a lovely grayish white.
Pests and Potential Problems Yaupon has no serious pest or disease problems although leafminers have been reported to occasionally be a problem."

Read more: Yaupon Plant Guide | Vomitoria Plant Information | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/taxonomy/yaupon-ilex-vomitoria/#ixzz2fvNxQ04Q


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Acorns. The tannins always found in acorns leaches quickly into the water and causes gastronomical distress. You could soak the acorns through a few water changes and then they would be safe to use.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I have a half gallon jar of acorn meal I was saving for the Meet-Up next month, I'll try some for coffee and see how it is.

Let you guys know tomorrow.


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Woody said:


> Are you looking for caffeine or just something to drink? If just the drink, any herbal tea will do and easy to grow. I don't believe any common hers contain any caffeine though.


I'm looking for caffeine. Sorry should have been more specific.



hiwall said:


> Acorns. The tannins always found in acorns leaches quickly into the water and causes gastronomical distress. You could soak the acorns through a few water changes and then they would be safe to use.


Are those the same tannins in tea and wine?



Davarm said:


> I have a half gallon jar of acorn meal I was saving for the Meet-Up next month, I'll try some for coffee and see how it is.
> 
> Let you guys know tomorrow.


Please do.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

The best-known human dietary sources of tannins are tea and wine
Coffee pulp has been found to contain low to trace amounts of tannins
Nuts that can be consumed raw, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans, contain high amounts of tannins. Almonds have a lower content. 
*Acorns contain such high concentrations of tannins that they must be processed before they can be consumed**
*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin


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## SmokeyNJ (Jun 12, 2013)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra_funerea

Mormon Tea / Indian Tea

For the caffeine like jolt.

Don't know how hard/easy it is to grow in captivity and other plant zones.

I remember Les Stroud drinking it.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Well, I sitting down drinking a cup of the Acorn/Coffee brew as I type.


Report:

Acorns(having been previously leeched and ground to meal) dont make much of a substitute at all for coffee by themselves. 

Mixed about 50/50 with "Premium" coffee makes a descent drink, I dont drink that much so I can afford to buy and keep Premium Blends(mostly Starbucks, turkish grind). It wound up tasting like a low quality coffee that had been left on the hot plate a little too long but if you put some creamer in it(I didn't) it could probably pass as an acceptable extender to most people.

I'll be able to give you more info on it after the Meet-Up in October, I'll make up a pot of it and get some opinions and try to get the attendees to individually post but if they dont, I'll do it.


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## musketjim (Dec 7, 2011)

Not sure about caffeine, but up here we make spruce needle tea and rose hip tea for vitamin c. Also birch tea for aspirin like effects. Labrador tea and raspberry leaf tea are also available here. As far as coffee substitute once I run out I'm shooting everybody to get more or else they'll be better shots than me and put me out of my misery either option is acceptable in a coffee free environment.vract:


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

> Alternative to coffee and tea


Whiskey and beer or whiskey and cigarettes or beer and cigarettes......

No need to worry, even in the 1800's coffee was imported and distributed throughout the country. You can also make it go further with a percolator by just adding a few more grounds to each pot and reusing the old grounds and letting it perk longer.

I find that percolated coffee is better than the drip crap also.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

cnsper said:


> You can also make it go further with a percolator by just adding a few more grounds to each pot and reusing the old grounds and letting it perk longer.


I think I've posted it before but if you really want to extend your coffee you can go to a store that has an inhouse grinder and grind your beans to a fine turkish grind and use it like you would "Instant" coffee. I've been doing it for a number of years now and it's my preferred way to have coffee.

You add however much you want to a cup and pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a minute or two then drink it. If you dont **** the "powder" suspended in the coffee you can let it settle for 2 or 3 minutes then drink it.

You have less waste(no leftover grounds - you drink them), you can make it by the cup and it tastes better than drip or percolator brewed(IMO).


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## northernraider (Jan 10, 2011)

Can you not grow some nice green tea bushes in tubs or containers where you live??, and I know I read of a family in San Francisco California who grow coffee beans on a greenhouse and make their own ?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I saw a cable channel show a while back about a man in South Carolina that has a commercial Tea plantation, if Tea will grow there I'm pretty sure it could be grown in other places that have similar climates.

Did a quick search and found it.

http://www.charlestonteaplantation.com/


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Davarm said:


> Well, I sitting down drinking a cup of the Acorn/Coffee brew as I type.
> 
> Report:
> 
> ...


What brewing method did you use?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

TechAdmin said:


> What brewing method did you use?


To make the Acorn part, I boiled about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the acorn meal in about a cup and a half of water, let it steep while I made the coffee.

The coffee was Starbucks "Cafe Verona" ground to a fine turkish grind, about 3 tablespoons in a large mug of boiling water. I strained the acorn brew and mixed it with the Starbucks.

I have some regular grind "Cafe Verona" sealed in a jar somewhere, If I can find it I'll try a pot of percolator coffee with the acorn meal just added to the basket with the coffee if you're interested in seeing how that will come out.


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

I'm going to try a few different methods and see which way works best while affecting the taste and pick me up the least.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

TechAdmin said:


> I'm going to try a few different methods and see which way works best while affecting the taste and pick me up the least.


Let us know how it turns out, will be interesting to know which way works best.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Instead of Acorns why not try what the Indians called the "Black Drink". It was used in ceremonies by the Cherokee Indians and was made with the Yaupon Holly and is still used today by many people in Appalachia. I have never tried it myself but I hear that the Caffene content makes coffee look like mothers milk


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Davarm said:


> Well, I sitting down drinking a cup of the Acorn/Coffee brew as I type.
> 
> Report:
> 
> ...





Davarm said:


> Let us know how it turns out, will be interesting to know which way works best.


I'll let you know. I have a drip, press, espresso, single cup, Vietnamese, percolator etc. My wife hates my coffee gadgets.



camo2460 said:


> Instead of Acorns why not try what the Indians called the "Black Drink". It was used in ceremonies by the Cherokee Indians and was made with the Yaupon Holly and is still used today by many people in Appalachia. I have never tried it myself but I hear that the Caffene content makes coffee look like mothers milk


I'll see if there isn't any in my area.


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Dave sent me a bunch of acorn flour, so I will start testing it with coffee to see the best method of preparation.


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