How to Brew a Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea

Since time immemorial, herbal tea has been a staple beverage in countless homes the world over. Aside from their known medicinal benefits, herbal teas are also enjoyed as tasty, refreshing drinks. Though the herbs brewed have varied from one culture to the next based on geography and herbal knowledge, herbal tea has always been brewed in one of three ways: as an infusion, decoction or as an infusion decoction. This article will give directions on brewing a great cup of tea. Before you get your kettle brewing, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

*Ideally, use spring, distilled or filtered water – your tap water is treated with various chemicals, which will introduce foreign flavors to your herbal tea.
*If possible, brew your tea in a ceramic, glass, copper or stainless steel container – most metal containers will leach into your tea.
*If you use a tea ball or tea infuser, be sure to fill it only halfway up to leave room for the herbs to expand as they steep.
*Most healing herbal teas have a bitter taste. You can make yours a little more palatable by adding aromatic herbs such as peppermint, lavender, licorice, lemon balm and fennel. You could also add honey, sugar, lemon juice, or stevia.

How to Brew an Infusion
An herbal infusion is the simplest way to prepare an herbal tea. It is the preferred method for brewing tea from the most parts of herbs – the leaves, flowers stems and some seeds.

Directions
The traditional infusion calls for 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb for each cup of water. If you use fresh herb instead of dry, simply double the amount of herb.
Bring 1 cup of water to a near boil. Pour it over 1-2 teaspoons of dried herb. Cover and let steep for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your desired strength. Strain and serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

How to Brew a Decoction
Decoctions are quite similar to infusions, and are the preferred method for brewing herbal tea from the tougher, denser herb materials such as roots, bark and berries. The medicinal constituents in these plant materials are more difficult to extract, so rather than steeping, they are gently simmered.

Directions
In a pan, combine 1 cup of cold water and 1-2 heaping teaspoons of chopped, grated or thinly sliced herb. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-30 minutes. The water will be reduced by about a third. Turn off the heat and let steep another 10 minutes. Strain and serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

How to Brew an Infusion Decoction
An herbal tea formula may call for the use of both lighter and tougher herb materials. In this case, you will use a combination of both brewing methods.

Directions
Make a decoction of the tougher herb materials (roots, barks or berries). Infuse the lighter herb materials (flowers, leaves, stems) in the decocted tea for 10-20 minutes.

Refferences

* Dill, Dianna. 101 Healing Herbal Teas. Dana Publishing, 2006
* Castleman, Michael, The Healing Herbs. St Martin’s Press, 1991