How to Brew an Herbal Tea

There are many ways to brew an herbal tea depending on the herbs and the results you are looking for.

Simple Infusion Blend

A Simple infusion is great when you only want 1 cup of tea or when you’re short on time. A Simple Infusion is suitable for balancing and/or maintenance purposes or for simple pleasure. For medicinal benefits, we recommend using the Nourishing Infusion Blend.

Directions

  1. For 1 cup: Place 1-2 tea bags or 1-2 tsp of loose leaf tea in an infuser (depending on your tea strength preferences) in a cup.
  2. Boil water and pour it over herbs. Do not heat water in a microwave.
  3. Cover so the tummy goodness doesn’t escape through the steam.
  4. Steep for 15 minutes to one hour.
  5. Strain out herbs. Give the herbs a squeeze to extract the potent liquid, and compost the plant material.
  6. Sweeten to taste with your favorite natural sweetener like Stevia or honey (recommended) and/or milk
  7. Enjoy hot or pour over ice

Nourishing Infusion Blend

When it comes to nutritive plants, opting for this infusion method will impart your water-based brew with the full strength of the plant material. This allows more of the minerals, chlorophyll, and other nutrients to be pulled into the solution. This method is best if you are looking for the medicinal benefits of an herbal blend.

Directions

  1. Place 4-6 tsp of dried herbs in a glass quart-size jar.
  2. Boil water and pour it over herbs in the jar. Do not heat water in a microwave.
  3. Cover by loosely screwing on the cap, so you don’t lose the healing benefits through the steam.
  4. Steep for 4-10 hours. We recommend preparing the infusion before bed and let it brew on the kitchen counter overnight.
  5. Strain out herbs. Give the herbs a squeeze to extract the potent liquid, and compost the plant material.
  6. Refrigerate. It usually keeps for several days in the fridge. Like food, when infusions spoil, they smell and taste sour. (Psst, you can always use soured infusion as a fertilizer for your plants!)
  7. Enjoy 1-4 cups a day, or as recommended by your Herbalist, reheating in a pot on the stovetop. Never, ever microwave your tea to re-heat, it kills the healing constituents!
  8. Optional: Sweeten to taste with honey and/or add milk to taste.
  9. In the heat of the summer, you might prefer to drink the infusion cold or pour over ice in a glass. Any way you like it—the important thing is to drink up!

Decoction

Decoctions are simmered teas that are perfect for extracting the properties of hard roots, dried berries, barks, and seeds. They are much stronger in flavor than herbal infusions and also more concentrated.

Directions

  1. Place 3 tablespoons of dried herbs into a small sauce pan.
  2. Cover the herbs with a quart of cold water.
  3. Slowly heat the water to a simmer and cover.
  4. Allow to gently simmer for 20 to 45 minutes.
  5. Strain into a quart jar, but do not discard the herbs. Some water will have evaporated, so your strained liquid will not fill the jar.
  6. Pour additional hot (but not boiling) water over the herbs in the strainer until your jar is full.
  7. Once your decoction is finished simmering, if you are using a tea blend that has more delicate leafy herbs or flowers, add them now. Steep an additional 10-15 minutes and strain.
  8. You can refrigerate your blend. It usually keeps for several days in the fridge. Like food, when infusions spoil, they smell and taste sour. (Psst, you can always use soured infusion as a fertilizer for your plants!)

Cold Infusions

Cold infusions are ideal for enjoying the benefits of mucilaginous herbs and herbs with delicate essential oils. A few good herbs for cold infusions include marshmallow root, peppermint leaf, rose buds, or freshly harvested herbs such as lemon balm or St. John’s Wort. Since there is no boiling involved in this preparation, bacteria growth can happen more quickly than with hot infusions. Be sure to use clean tools, refrigerate your infusion if you’re not going to drink it right away, and consume or dispose of it within a week (or sooner if you notice an off taste, smell, or change in appearance).

Directions

  1. Fill a quart jar with cold water.
  2. Place 4-6 tsp of dried herbs or 4 tea bags in a glass quart-size jar.
  3. Submerge the tea bags/herbs just below the water in the jar.
  4. Secure by loosely screwing on the cap.
  5. Allow to infuse overnight.

OR

  1. Place loose herbs in a quart jar, fill with cold water, and cap.
  2. Allow to infuse overnight.
  3. Strain
A Few Tips
  • In case you’re interested in making a larger quantity at once, know that most herbal infusions and decoctions will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
  • Add a bit of raw local honey, fruit juice, licorice root powder, or stevia to sweeten your infusion.
  • Freeze in ice cube trays or popsicle molds. Kids love these herbal ice pops
  • Mix with juice or lemonade

Disclaimer
The products and statements made about specific products on this web site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on this web site or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new vitamins, supplements, diet, or exercise program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
©Heart Rock Healing & A-Pawthecary Holland, MI