I jumped into herbalism by experimenting with blending my own teas, exploring what herbs to use for various symptoms, and trying different flavor combinations. Herbal teas are a very easy way to get to know how different herbs work for you in a low-potency way.
Whether you're new to herbs completely, or an experienced herbalist, you probably have some experience with infusing herbal tea blends. Whatever your experience, however, I guarantee you'll learn something about infusing herbal teas after reading this article!
Looking for a great daily tea? Check out my Daily Digest blend! This caffeine-free herbal blend can be steeped hot or cold for general digestive support and a full panel of multi-vitamins!
Let's jump in with unlearning a few myths about steeping herbal teas!
Tea blends don't actually have to contain tea leaves! Technically, herbal blends that do not contain tea leaves should be called infusions. But I generally use the term tea whether there are tea leaves present or not for the sake of general understanding.
Your water doesn't have to be boiled for a potent cup of tea! Herbal teas have a variety of uses, all of which should be steeped differently; hot, cold, or lukewarm. Some herbs should actually never be steeped in boiling water for use as tea!
You don't need to cover your tea while it steeps!
There is not a one-size-fits-all guideline for steeping teas! Each specific tea purpose will have its own recommended steeping time.
Before we talk about how to actually steep different types of tea, let's go over a few different tea-related terms.
Loose Leaf Tea - Tea blends that are not packaged in individual tea bags. Loose leaf teas are generally more flavorful, more aromatic, and higher in nutritive and medicinal benefits than teabag teas.
Infusion - Infusions can refer to both hot or cold steeping of loose leaf teas. I typically reserve the term infusion for cold-steeped preparations, and tea for hot-steeped.
Steep - For this article, steeping refers to the action of soaking herbs in water for a period of time.
Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, let's get to the good part.
Steeping Hot Infusions
Hot infusions are preferred for acute issues such as cold symptoms, insomnia, and other things that need fast relief. Hot infusions are also a great choice for flavorful or aromatic tea blends. Hot infusions may be used with fresh or dried plant material.
A few quick notes on hot infusions:
Boiling water can burn the herbs, reducing their medicinal properties. The ideal water temperature for hot infusions is between 150 - 180*F, meaning there may be tiny bubbles forming in the pot but not a rolling boil.
Herbs with a high VOC (volatile organic compound) content should not be steeped hot for longer than 10 - 12 minutes. These herbs are typically more aromatic (think Chamomile, Lavender, etc.). A high heat for a longer period of time will release more VOC's, yielding more toxic compounds within the tea. These herbs typically thrive more in a longer cold steeped infusion. I also recommend steeping these herbs uncovered.
Hot infusions can steep anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes. A general rule of thumb is steeping very aromatic herbs for a shorter period, and other herbs longer. The longer you steep, in general the more medicinal properties will be released. However, herbs typically become more bitter the longer they steep.
Herbs need room to expand as they steep! I prefer to steep herbs in a French press rather than a ball steeper. You can also use a mason jar tea strainer.
SUPPLIES
a tea kettle & tea cup
French press or tea strainer basket
6 - 8 oz warm water
1 tsp - 1/2 tbsp loose leaf tea (begin small with new herbs)
DIRECTIONS
Measure your herbs out into your French press or preferred steeping device.
Warm water to roughly 150 - 180*F.
Pour warm water over herbs and steep for 5 - 20 minutes depending on the herbs used and desired result.
Strain herbs and sweeten with honey if desired.
Enjoy!
Steeping Cold Infusions
Cold infusions are my preferred way to use herbs! It takes more time to infuse herbs in cold water, typically yielding a more medicinally potent end product. Cold infusions may be used with herbal blends, or with single herbs for more nutritive purposes. Cold infusions are also a great way to maximize the medicinal and nutritive properties of herbs that are higher in VOC's as the cold water doesn't release as much of the more volatile compounds. You will typically need a higher volume of herb matter for a cold infusion, typically 3/4 c of herb to 1 c of water, and they may also be sweetened with honey if desired. Cold infusions may be used with fresh or dried plant material.
SUPPLIES
a mason jar or other glass open mouth container with a lid
preferred herb or herbal blend
cold water
DIRECTIONS
Fill your preferred glass container 3/4 of the way with your herbs. I like to make larger batches of cold infusion at a time since it is a longer process.
Completely fill your container with cold water. If you are using low VOC herbs, you can warm the water first to release additional properties, just be sure to allow the water to cool to room temperature before covering.
Cover the container with a lid and shake.
Allow your infusion to steep in the fridge for 8 - 24 hours. The longer you steep the more medicinal and nutritive properties will be released. Some herbs will become more bitter the longer you steep, but I find that most herbs keep their natural flavor in a cold infusion even after 24 hours.
Strain your herbs and enjoy! A strained cold infusion will keep in the fridge for 3 - 7 days.
It's that simple to brew a nourishing cup of health!
I typically steep a large batch cold infusion of Nettle each week for its multi-vitamin profile, and steep single cup hot infusions throughout the week to support various symptoms as they arise.
Once you've mastered steeping teas and infusions, you'll be ready for steeping herbal oils and tinctures, and soon, you'll have your own home apothecary full of homemade herbal medicinals!
Don't forget to share your favorite herbal tea blends below!
Sincerely,
Amanda
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