How Do You Make Infused Herbal Tea? A Quick Guide

 If you are like most people, you think of tea as a warming morning ritual in place of coffee or an afternoon treat that goes well with cookies and biscuits. These water-infused herbs have been used for centuries as the oldest form of medicine long before alcohol-based tinctures, capsules or pills.

 What’s great about tea is that it provides a gentle action on the body and allows the tea-drinker to experience a role in making their medicine. In fact, herbal teas are simple to create and can be the best way to extract minerals and vitamins from plants.

Tea can be used to support a variety of common conditions such as:

• The flowers of Chamomile are used for calming nerves and relaxation prior to sleep.
• Stinging Nettle can be made into a wonderful tonic to keep bones strong and alleviate allergies.
• Peppermint leaf aids in digestion for an upset stomach.

How do you make your own infusion?

• Making an infusion of tea is as simple as pouring boiling water over loose leaf herb or a teabag and allowing it to steep for 10-20 minutes. This process works best with the lighter parts of a plant such as flowers, leaves and stems.
• If you have roots, seeds or bark, the herbs need to be placed in a pot and simmered for 20 minutes. This process is called decoction.
• If you have a combination of light and dense parts, then separate the herbs and boil the heavy herbs for 20 minutes. Remove them from the heat and add the other herbs to the water and cover for 10-20 minutes. The herb-to-water ratio can vary between plants, but a good ratio is 1 teaspoon herb to 8 ounces of water.

 Cheers!