Teas

Teas are one of the easiest and gentlest ways to incorporate herbs into your lifestyle. As a simple water infusion, herbal tea offers a variety of wellness benefits. Many herbs taste delicious as teas and they can be quite soothing and relaxing! Infusing herbs in water (always filtered – I love Clearly Filtered) as tea is also one of the simplest ways to get started with herbs. There are several ways to make herbal teas depending on the plant material and desired outcome, so it’s helpful to understand a few main concepts about the best way to infuse herbs in water.

Infusions

Infusions are what most of us think of as herbal teas. The leaves, flowers, and more delicate/aromatic aerial (above-ground) parts of the plants are steeped in water to extract therapeutic benefit and aromatic flavor. I highly recommend using loose-leaf tea over pre-made tea bags, as there are almost certainly unwelcome chemicals in the tea bag materials. Additionally, you have complete control over the herbs and flavor profile by choosing what you want! You’ll need a tea infuser or mesh spoon to easily remove the plant material, or consider a tumbler with a built-in infuser. I am extremely selective about sourcing herbs for tea – I either grow/forage on my property or buy from Natural Hope Herbal, Mountain Rose Herbs, or Strictly Medicinal.

There are severals ways to prepare infusions, depending on your goal:

Hot Infusions

Hot infusions are made in the typical fashion by steeping plant material in just-boiled water in a tea mug or some other vessel that can withstand high heat. Steeping times vary anywhere from a few minutes to twenty minutes, up to eight hours, based on the specific herb & plant parts, desired flavor, and desired therapeutic strength. In general, more delicate parts like flowers are steeped the least amount of time, but always check the herbal monograph to know for sure. It is helpful to cover your steeping vessel so that volatile oils don’t escape with the steam.

You’ll need a steeping vessel, infuser, and spoon, along with honey or your preferred sweetener (one of my students loved adding maple syrup to his teas!) to add after steeping. If you are using raw honey and want to maintain the quality of the enzymes, wait until the infusion has reached 104° F to add it.

Solar Infusions

Solar infusions (aka “Sun Tea”) are a delightful way to prepare tea and are a super sweet and simple summer pleasure, especially with children! Instead of using hot water, the sun rays heat cooled water and extract the therapeutic properties from the herbs while steeping. You’ll need your desired herbs, either fresh or dry, a quart-sized mason jar with a top, filtered water to fill the jar, and a mesh strainer. Add the herbs to the jar, cover, and sit it in the sun for one to eight hours. If possible, start the solar infusion in the morning and let it steep into the early afternoon sun. After steeping, strain the herbs from the tea with a mesh strainer, chill, and enjoy! This can be a fun way to make honeysuckle tea with children when the flowers are in bloom!

Cold Infusions

Cold infusions are typically used for herbs that have mucilaginous properties to extract the gooeyness of the plant, but are also great for peppermint, lemon balm, and hibiscus. The herb that comes to mind for cold infusions is marshmallow root – it doesn’t taste great but it is excellent for digestive health! To make a cold infusion, place herbs in a glass jar or mug, add room temperature water, cover, and steep for several hours to overnight. Then strain and drink.

Decoctions

Decoctions are teas that are slowly simmered on the stove for twenty to forty-five minutes. This process is used for denser plant materials, like roots, barks, fruit, or berries that require more time and heat to extract the therapeutic properties. Herbs like dandelion root and elderberries are perfect candidates for decoctions. To make a decoction, add your herbs and water to a pot, simmer covered, strain, and then drink.

Decoction-Infusions

Decoction-infusions are likely what you might expect – they are a mix of denser plant parts and leaves/flowers. To make a decoction-infusion, simmer the tougher plant parts for 20-45 minutes, then pour the decocted herbs and hot water into a vessel with the flowers and/or leaves. Cover and steep for five to twenty minutes, up to eight hours, and then strain. Drink immediately or within 48 hours if refrigerated.

General Dosing Guidelines for Herbal Teas

Although dosing varies based on specific herb and desired outcome, there are some general herbal tea guidelines that work for adults in most cases:

• Three to four cups of herbal tea per day in general for wellness and for chronic conditions
• 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup herbal tea every 30-60 minutes, up to 3-4 cups per day, for acute conditions
• Use 1-3 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of water or 1/4 cup of dried herb per one quart of water
• For fresh herbs, double or triple the amount used

For children, use Clark’s Rule or Young’s Rule.