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Articles Brewing the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea
Infusions, Decoctions, Techniques  By
Tania Tyler
There is nothing quite as good as the taste
of teas made with fresh picked herbs. However, many herbs may not
be available fresh, either because of the season or their growing
environment. A perfect cup of tea can still be brewed with quality
dried herbs. Although numerous gadgets exist for tea making,
all that is really required is a pot or kettle to boil water in,
a teapot or glass canning jar for steeping, and a strainer. It
is important to use a glass, porcelain, or glazed earthenware pot
for brewing as some metals can react with the herbs. Always warm
the teapot or jar to prevent the tea from cooling off too quickly
and to prevent the container from breaking. Many types of strainers
and tea balls are available but you might want to just use the
herbs loose to allow the herbs to float and move around during
brewing. If you prefer a tea ball, use a large one. The tea can
be strained after brewing with a stainless steel kitchen strainer. Because herbal teas can be brewed from leaves,
roots, bark, seeds or flowers; alone or in combination, a couple
of brewing techniques need to be acquired. Teas made from the leaves or flowers are infused
to protect the more delicate oils from evaporating. To make an
infusion, place the herbs in the warmed teapot or canning jar,
pour gently boiling water over the herbs, cover to prevent evaporation,
steep for 10 - 15 minutes, and strain. In general, use one teaspoon
of dried or 3 teaspoons of fresh, bruised herb per cup of water.  Teas
made from the roots, bark or seeds are decocted to release their
properties. A decoction requires the roots or bark to be cut into
small pieces and the seeds to be bruised with a mortar and pestle
or the back of a spoon. Place 1/2 to one ounce of herb into a pot
with one pint (2 cups) of cold water, bring to a gentle boil, reduce
heat, simmer gently for 10 - 20 minutes, and strain. Teas made
with stronger spices such as ginger, clove or cinnamon will need
to be adjusted for personal tastes.
To make a tea with both roots/bark/seeds and
leaves/flowers follow the directions for making a decoction using
just the roots, bark or seeds. Pour the strained decoction over
the leaves or flowers and infuse as above. Herbal iced teas follow the same procedures
as above but should be brewed double-strength. After straining,
chill for 30 minutes and pour over a glass full of ice. Most herbal
teas are delicate enough that sweetening is not necessary but sugar
or preferably local honey can be added. There are also naturally
sweet herbs that can be added to the teas such as licorice root
and stevia (up to 250 times sweeter than sugar! All natural with
just a pinch required to sweeten a whole pot of tea). Unused tea should be refrigerated and used
within 24 hours of brewing. 
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