Howdy, I hope you’re well. I want to give you a few helpful suggestions on how to easily brew loose leaf tea. If you’re new to loose leaf tea trying to figure out how to brew it effectively might feel like too much trouble. I promise it really is the best way to make a cup thats going to give you the best of what herbs and teas have to offer.
Select Quality Herbs
The foundation of great herbal tea is, of course, the herbs themselves. Always opt for high-quality, fresh or dried herbs. The better the quality, the more flavorful and effective your tea will be.
Give Your Herbs Room to Breathe
A common mistake in brewing herbal tea is cramming the herbs into a small tea ball or infuser. This is also the issue with traditional tea bags, despite not being able to see what in the tea bag, there’s just not enough room for the herbs to fully infuse. To really let the flavors and benefits come through, your herbs need space. Use a large infuser or a pot, or even a french press works really well to allow water to circulate freely around the herbs. This ensures a full extraction of all the herbal goodness.
Water Temperature
Most herbs want water that’s really hot from about 200° to a full boil at 212°. There are some teas like green and white tea that likes a lower temperature around 175° but herbs and black teas prefer it hot. If you plan to drink your tea iced you can do whats known as cold brew. Which is simply pour cold water over your tea in a pitcher or jar and letting in steep in the fridge for about 12 hours. It makes a really refreshing drink, the flavor is lighter while still getting all the benefits of loose leaf tea. My preference for iced tea is to brew it hot and let it cool down then pour it over ice. It makes a stronger, more robust flavor. Which brings me to one of the things I love most about tea. Everyone has their preference and everyone can have it the way they want it.
Steeping Time
Herbal teas generally need a minimum of about 5 to 10 minutes to steep. This longer steeping time allows the full range of flavors and beneficial properties to infuse into the water. It’s worth the wait for a richer, more therapeutic cup.
So there you go, it’s really just space, temperature and time. If you have any other questions about how to get the most out of herbs and tea, feel free to get in touch, we are always happy to hear from you. Enjoy your brewing journey, and always remember: life’s too short for a mediocre cup of tea!
Jack
