Herb Basics: Making Herbal Tea
By The Herb Companion staff
March/April 2002
Making herbal teas is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to take your herbs. You can grow, harvest, and dry your own tea herbs and make your own blends, or you can easily find both individual herbs and tea blends in bulk at health-food stores and herb shops. To keep the teas fresh for as long as possible, store them away from direct sunlight, preferably in dark containers that close tightly.
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The main disadvantage of teas is that not all herb constituents are water-soluble, so it’s wise to consult the literature before you begin. Varro Tyler’s Honest Herbal (Haworth, 1999) is a good place to start.
To make a tea, place 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb leaves, flowers, and/or stems (if using fresh herbs, double that amount) in a cup (or into a tea ball, muslin bag, or strainer). Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the herbs, and let the tea steep for 10 minutes, or until it reaches the desired strength. Strain (or remove the tea ball), then sip.
Infusions are stronger than teas but are prepared similarly—just let the herbs steep for twice as long. A standard dose of an infusion is 1 cup three times daily.
Decoctions, which are stronger than infusions, require that you boil (rather than steep) the herbs. Decoctions are made from roots, rhizomes, and barks, whose active constituents are more difficult to extract than those of flowers, leaves, or stems and require more heat.
To make a decoction, use 1 teaspoon of the dried herb, broken into pieces or powdered, or 3 teaspoons of the fresh herb in small pieces, for every cup of water. Place the herb in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 20 to 40 minutes. Strain the decoction while it’s still hot. The standard dose is 1 cup three times daily. Make as many as three doses at a time, and store the leftover tea in the refrigerator.