making an herbal tea - east carolina...

Making an Herbal Tea Native Roots Apothecary 1

Making an Herbal Tea

If you’ve ever made a cup of tea with a teabag then you’ve made an herbal infusion. Tea bags are certainly convenient, but if you want to prepare your own herbal blends or concentrated medicinal teas, then learning how to use dried herbs, in the form of infusions and decoctions, is indispensable. Buying herbs in bulk is substantially cheaper than purchasing tea bags. And if you grow or gather your own herbs, tea can be free! Personally, I love the sensory pleasures of blending dried herbs—homemade teas enhance my enjoyment of each herb’s texture, color, and aroma.

Before we delve into the details of tea preparation, let’s take a look at the benefits and downsides of water extraction as a delivery method for medicinal herbs.

Benefits and Advantages of Tea ♥ Tea is one of the most ancient forms of medicine

and can be very comforting and pleasurable to drink.

♥ Drinking tea made from loose herbs is more affordable than taking capsules or tinctures (alcohol extracts), and the body is able to assimilate tea easily. Plus, if you gather or grow your own herbs, tea can be free!

♥ Medicinal teas have the added benefit of hydration, except, of course, if the herbs are diuretic (promoting water loss through urination).

♥ Teas are a better choice than tinctures for those who want or need to avoid alcohol.


♥ Water is an excellent solvent for minerals, mucilage, and most medicinal constituents, although it doesn’t easily extract resins or some alkaloids.

♥ Teas are a better choice than alcohol-based tinctures for extracting the minerals from mineral-rich herbs such as: nettles (Urtica dioica), chickweed (Stellaria media), violet (Viola sororia), red clover (Trifolium pratense), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), dandelion leaf (Taraxacum officinale), and bladderwrack (Fucus spp.).

♥ Teas are also a better choice than alcohol-based tinctures for extracting mucilage from mucilaginous, or demulcent, herbs, such as slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), corn silk (Zea mays), violet (Viola spp.), comfrey* (Symphytum officinale), linden (Tiliaspp.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum and other species), and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra or G. uralensis).

*Comfrey has a number of contra-indications due to its pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Topical use is not a concern. Do not use internally if pregnant or nursing and do not give to children.

♥ Teas are ideal for some immunomodulatory herbs and mushrooms—remedies that have a balancing and supportive effect on the immune system. High alcohol levels destroy some of the central compounds involved in immunomodulation—long-chain polysaccharides. These compounds are most effectively extracted in water, especially with prolonged decoctions (2 hours plus).

♥ Water extractions are also ideal for prebiotic compounds—non-digestible types of fiber that feed intestinal flora (bacteria). These compounds


(inulin is one example) can be extracted in water but not alcohol. Examples of herbs with prebiotic properties are the roots of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), burdock (Arctium minus and A. lappa), and chicory (Cichorium intybus). Eating these foods is likely to be the optimal form of ingestion. Note: when these roots are roasted, their prebiotic compounds are transformed, and they are no longer effective at feeding intestinal flora.

Sourcing Herbs The best place to get your herbs will be from your backyard or nearby of course!! Unfortunately, some of us don’t have the land or the resources to grow LOTS of herbs so purchasing herbs is another option. Try to find a local farmer who grows the herbs you need and buy there. Local herbs are specially conditioned to local weather and seasonal patterns and deal with the same stressors and climate fluctuations that you do. Local sourcing also usually means better quality herbal products with a reduced carbon footprint. These herbs may cost a little more but you will also be able to use less to achieve a desired herbal action, as locally sourced herbs are fresher and retain better potency than herbs that have been sitting in shipping containers for months before arriving at a distributor. If there’s not a nearby farmer, then I would suggest getting your herbs from a source that you know is reliable and uses sustainable methods in harvesting and growing herbs (they don’t overharvest or use chemicals). Two such places that I purchase from is Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier Herbs. They both have a website and you may be able to get discounts and coupons if you look around the internet!

Harvesting Tips


In general, you should harvest herb and wildflower leaves just before the blooms emerge. Leaves can become bitter after the herb has flowered. Mint leaves should be harvested in early Spring when they are sweet and tender. When you are harvesting flowers, get them just as they are beginning to open when the flavor will be most intense.

The time of day to harvest is best in early morning just after the dew evaporates but before the strong sunlight dilutes the aromatic oils for the day. You may get lucky and harvest after a nighttime rainfall that washes the dust from the leaves. Washing herbs and flowers can leave them soggy and make them difficult to dry successfully without molding. That’s why rain or dew provides just the right rinse to clean the herbs and flowers of any dust. You could water with a sprinkler and let water evaporate before harvesting as well.

Remove leaves or flowers that seem to have damage either from insects or disease. If you are using fresh plant material, you can remove the leaves and flowers from the stems immediately, but if you are drying your herb to use later, then leave them on the stems to dry easily. Wash roots that will be used for tea carefully to remove dirt. They can also be used fresh or dried in a tea.

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Drying Methods Drying herbs is simple, but failure to remove enough moisture can lead to mildew or mold. Once leaves or flowers have been dried successfully they can be stored in a glass airtight jar in a cool, dark place for a year or two. Roots can be sliced or grated and dried then kept in the same way. More on storage later.

To air dry herbs, you may join the stems together with a rubber band and hang to dry in a clean attic or in a room with fairly constant flow of warm, dry air. You can also use a paper bag to dry your herbs. You may choose to also tie them together and place in the bag, but I usually just put the herbs on the stems in the bag and leave to dry. Air circulates through the bag and leaves the herb nice and dry. The bag also keeps dirt and dust off the herbs. Don’t overfill the bag so that air can circulate easily. Another way to air dry is to put the herbs on cookie sheets in a SINGLE layer and leave out to dry. This works with flowers better than with leaves. Cover the cookie sheets with cheesecloth to keep bugs and dust off the herb.

There is also the method of mechanical dehydration which includes the use of a dehydrator. There’s choices of electrical dehydrators and solar ones. Times vary on each herb/plant, so don’t mix the herbs in the dehydrator.

Basic Equipment


Making small batches of tea at home doesn’t require much equipment except maybe a digital scale to weigh your herbs and some bowls and spoons for mixing. You may also want or need a measuring cup or spoon. A notebook will come in handy to write down your recipes as you try them to see what works and what you like.

Working in Parts Tea recipes are broken down into parts. First thing that you need to decide is how many ounces of tea you would like to make. Once you know, then it is a simple math problem to figure out how much of each herb to blend into your tea. If you want to make 16 ounces of tea, then you would add all of the total parts in the following recipe…2 parts chamomile….2 parts lavender….1 part skullcap….1/2 part passionflower…..1/2 part valerian….so 2 + 2 + 1 + .5 + .5 = 6 Then divide the total ounces by your total parts 16/6 = 2.67 In order to make things a little easier to measure, round your answer up or down accordingly 2.67 rounded to 2.5 (for easier measuring purposes). Then take each part and multiply by your rounded amount to get the amounts needed for each herb. Here’s your recipe:


2 pts x 2.5 = 5.0 oz Chamomile

2 pts x 2.5 = 5.0 oz Lavender

1 pt x 2.5 = 2.5 oz Skullcap

.5 pt x 2.5 = 1.25 oz Passionflower

.5 pt x 2.5 = 1.25 oz Valerian

Total ounces of mixed tea would be 15. See how easy? Of course, you don’t HAVE to do the math and just decide what you want to use as a part. I will sometimes decide that 1 part equals 1 cup and go from there but I must warn you that you may end up with A LOT of mixed tea lol. Just know how to work with the parts and decide what works for you.

Blending Your Tea Now let’s start putting the tea together! Three steps and you are done!

♥ Wash your hands! I love getting my hands into my herbs so let’s keep them clean! Also make sure that they are dry and that your equipment is COMPLETELY dry! Even a small amount of moisture inside a jar or bowl can cause the herbs to mold and spoil.

♥ If you decided to do the math formula to ration the herbs, then measure out each herb one at a


time then pour into a large bowl. If you are just going by parts then get each part separately and pour into bowl. If your bowl is too small to use for the batch of tea that you are making, then try using a stock pot.

♥ Once you have all of your herbs measured and put together in a bowl/pot, you can blend them together with a wooden spoon or with your clean hands. Blend them slowly using a wavelike motion. If the herbs are cut and sifted, then you may want to do this outside because there will be a cloud of dust and particles and being outside will help the dust disperse and keep you from sneezing your head off. If you are blending LOTS of teas in a day, then you might want to wear a mask to keep the particles out of your lungs so as not to cause congestion from breathing in all of that herb dust.

Herb and Tea Storage


If you keep your teas in a place that is easily accessible, then you are more likely to use them. Create a space near your tea making space (your stove or tea kettle) that doesn’t get much light, moisture, or heat. If not stored properly, your teas or herbs can become oxidized, pale, flavorless, and void of medicinal potency. Try to keep them in a cabinet that has a relatively stable temperature all year. I keep my teas in glass jars, but you can keep them in plastic or tin containers as long as they are in a dark cool place. If you open your tea container and they just don’t smell or taste like they did, then you probably need to make a new batch. Being responsible and diligent about sourcing and taking really good care of your herbs and teas honors nature by reducing the amount of herbs needed to achieve desired therapeutic effects, which reduces costs and eases the financial burden on your herb farmers, wildcrafters, distributors, and home gardeners.

Making a Cup of Tea


Infusions The term “infusion” comes from the Latin word “infundere” meaning to pour in. An herbal infusion is made from lightweight plant material—namely leaves, flowers, and fruits. Herbs with a high percentage of volatile oils are also typically prepared as an infusion, even if they are thicker plant parts such as roots and bark. The infusion can be prepared in a French press, stainless steel pot, ceramic or glass teapot, or stainless steel or bamboo infuser. Some herbalists use mason jars for their infusions, but I don’t

recommend this practice, as mason jars sometimes have cracks and can break when exposed to boiling water. This has led to second-degree burns when the scalding water falls off the counter. If you really want to use a mason jar, make sure to place it in the sink when you pour water into it, in case it breaks.

A hot infusion is prepared by bringing the desired amount of water to a boil, pouring it over the herb, and letting it sit covered, for twenty minutes. It’s important to cover every medicinal infusion, especially those with aromatic herbs, as those delicious compounds will evaporate out if the tea is left uncapped. After straining the herb, the tea can be drunk immediately, or cooled to room temperature and refrigerated.

A cold infusion is made in the same fashion but the water is room temperature or cold when poured over the herb. I stick the jar in the fridge for several hours and then strain. Cold infusions are important


if you are trying to extract delicate vitamins, flavonoids, mucilaginous carbohydrates, and enzymes from herbs. Examples of these herbs are slippery elm, fruits, raspberry leaf, and marshmallow root.

Decoctions

A decoction is basically a tea that is simmered, and is the preferred form of preparation for bark, roots, medicinal mushrooms, and hard non-aromatic seeds. Decoctions are typically made in a stainless steel or stovetop-safe glass pot. The herb is placed in water and brought to a boil, then simmered with a lid on for twenty to thirty minutes. Take off the heat, strain, and enjoy. It’s possible to simmer your decocted herbs again for a few more rounds; as long as they still yield a strong-tasting tea, they are still good. Store your roots in the refrigerator between decoctions to reduce microbial growth.


Preparing a Tea Here is a general guideline for herbal tea proportions: 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of dried, cut and sifted herb (store-bought herbs), or herbal combination, or 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh herb per 1 cup (8 ounces, or 240 ml) of water.

When using homegrown herbs to prepare tea, use 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of dried herb or dried herbal blend for every 1 cup (240 ml) of water (because this herb material tends to be coarser than store-bought herbs).

Alternately, many herbalists may use the following proportions: one handful of an herb or herbal blend to one quart of water.

Typically, a daily dose, using any of the above methods, would consist of 3 to 4 cups (710—950 ml) of tea.


Recipes

Respiratory Health

3 parts Eucalyptus

3 parts fennel seeds

3 parts ginger

3 parts peppermint

2 parts hyssop

1 part elecampane root

1 part clove

.25 part licorice root

Blood Pressure Support

1 part Hawthorn leaf

1 part Hawthorn berry

1 part cinnamon

1 part linden

1 part mint

.5 part hibiscus

.5 part lemongrass

.5 part orange peel

Snooze

2 parts valerian

1 part kava

1 part linden

1 part mint

1 part passionflower

.25 part hops

.25 part nutmeg

Simple Chai

4 parts cinnamon chips

2 parts ginger cut and sifted

1 part cardamom pods whole

.5 parts cloves whole

1 vanilla bean (cut into pieces)

Morning Vitamin C

1 part rosehip

1 part hibiscus

1 part ginkgo

1 part lemongrass


Nourishing Tonic Tea

2 parts red raspberry leaf

1 part motherwort

1 part red clover

1 part nettle

1 part lemon balm

1 part lemongrass

1 part milky oats

.5 parts damiana

Cold and Flu Tea

2 parts elder flower

2 parts elderberry

2 parts yarrow

2 parts mullein

2 parts peppermint

1 part linden

Joint Repair

1 part celery seed

1 part cat’s claw

1 part Jamaican dogwood

1 part cramp bark

2 parts ginger

1 part turmeric

Lemon Aid

2 parts lemongrass

1 part lemon balm

1 part lemon verbena

1 part lemon peel

1 part rosehips

1 part hibiscus

1 part sumac

Clearing the Mind

2 parts meadowsweet

1 part chamomile

1.5 parts raspberry leaf

1 part mint

1 part rose petals

Spring Aid

4 parts rosehips

3 parts lemon balm

3 parts ginger

3 parts orange peel

3 parts lemongrass

3 parts schisandra

2 parts cinnamon


Vira Protect

6 parts elderberry

6 parts ginger

5 parts mint

3 parts tulsi

3 parts anise seed or clove

2 parts orange zest

1.5 parts yarrow

1 part licorice root

Relaxing Tea Blend

1 part lemon balm

.25 part meadowsweet

1 part lemon verbena

1 part hibiscus

1 part calendula

.75 part rose petals

Mental Claritea

2 parts nettle

1 part rosemary

1 part ginkgo

2 parts gotu kola

1 part Siberian ginseng

Relaxing Headache

1 part chamomile

4 part willow bark

2 parts wood betony

1 part lavender

1 part hops

Dream Tea

2 parts skullcap

1 part hops

2 parts mugwort

1 part passionflower

2 parts lavender

.25 parts stevia

Orange Spice

2 parts orange peel

2 parts rosehips

1 part cinnamon

2 parts ginger

1 part rosemary

1 part star anise


References:

Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine, Teresa Boardwine

The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual, James Green

Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, Juliet Blankespoor

Healing Herbal Teas, Sarah Farr

Drink the Harvest, Nan K Chase and DeNeice C Guest

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