GUIDE TO BREWING HERBAL TEA INFUSIONS: MAKING LOOSE LEAF HERBAL TEA FOR BEGINNER

 

Many of us like to drink several cups of tea each day in the fall and winter and often drop down to just one cup a day as the weather warms up.

During the periods of expanded stress, we would suggest having a robust tea in the morning, and restorative tea in the afternoon and evening.

Herbal teas can bring about the perfect restorative infusion one can think of. Loose-leaf herbal teas are best to support your needs, health, stress levels and energy. Each herb has its unique flavor along with the unique benefits it delivers, so you can be flexible on letting your body tell you what it needs and choosing and brewing herbal tea based on how you feel.

Brewing herbal tea provides the best of both worlds, the stimulating and flavorful experience of loose leaf tea along with the diversity of herbals and you will also have a natural substitute for coffee.

 

WHAT IS HERBAL TEA/TISANE?

Herbal tea is also known as a tisane ( the European word) means those containing no Camellia Sinensis leaf. Tisane means an infusion of dried herbs consumed as a beverage for its medicinal effects.

Some of the most common herbs, flowers, and dried fruits are mint, cinnamon, clove, chamomile, jasmine, ginger, hibiscus, orange and lemon peel, lemongrass, rosehip, berries, ginseng and liquorice.

Many of the ingredients are naturally sweet and are excellent options for those who are sensitive to caffeine but wants a tasty beverage.

These loose-leaf herbal infusions tend to be very flavorful as well as useful for various health issues.

 

BEST HERBAL TEA FLAVOURS FOR INFUSION WITH HEALTH BENEFITS

There are several herbal tea blends so you can choose from a variety of range and according to the reason you are making a cup of herbal tea.

The following is a list of some herbal teas with the limited examples of benefits they offer. In most cases, these teas are known for many additional benefits.

• Chamomile Tea – Headaches, relaxation, digestion, improves sleep.
• Ginger tea – Motion sickness, Anti-nausea, and heart health.
• Ginseng Tea – Fight stress, boost the immune system, and reduce inflammation.
• Echinacea tea – Infections like flu and cold.
• Hibiscus tea – Lowers blood pressure, weight loss, prevent hair loss.

 

BREWING A PERFECT CUP OF HERBAL TEA

Making and drinking herbal tea for comfort and health benefits is an ancient tradition that anyone and learn and practice. It is both a sensual and intuitive process in which we can look, smell, touch and taste the herbs and become more thoughtful of the process.

The first thing you need to know that teas are made by infusions. The term comes from the Latin word which means “to pour in”.  In this method, the water is poured over herbs to extract the active ingredients.

Herbal teas require relatively little time in hot water to bring out the desired flavor. If you do boil the delicate herbal blends, you risk losing some of their potency to excessive heat.

 

Ingredients and supplies

•  Teapot / teacup
• Kettle
• Loose leaf herbal tea – Chamomile / Hibiscus/ Peppermint or any other type
•  A tea strainer

 

Preparing a Hot infusion

• The first thing you need to do is to heat some water. You can use the amount of water according to your need, we are using 2 cups of water.  Pour the water into the kettle and bring it to a rolling boil.

 

• Measure out the amount of loose-leaf herbal tea to brew. The common rule is to add 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup. Pour the 2 cups of hot water over 2 teaspoons of tea. Cover the teapot/ teacup and allow it to steep.

 

• For most herbal teas, allow 5-10 minutes for steep. In case you want a strong and robust flavor, increase the amount of tea per cup instead of increasing steeping time. For the blends with black or green tea in them, steep only for 5 minutes if you want to avoid the bitter tannins.

Preparing cold infusions

• Measure out 1teaspoon of loose-leaf herbal tea per cup of cold water and mix it in a lidded jar.

 

• Shake the jar for few seconds, then place it in a cool place for at least 2 hours. You can even stick the jar in the fridge for a few hours.

Cold infusions are important if you are trying to extract delicate vitamins, flavonoids and carbohydrates from herbs.

So here is your simple herbal tea recipe. It is fairly simple, convenient and can be made without too many supplies. Therefore follow the steps and enjoy your perfect cup of herbal tea so far.

In the meanwhile, check out Oxtea’s exciting and flavored loose leaf tea blends that will blow you away!