Whether you are suffering from indigestion, insomnia or a sore throat, drinking herbal tea can help you find comfort and relief in a natural way. In addition to harnessing the medicinal properties of herbs, drinking an aromatic herbal tea is a good way to unwind at the end of an eventful day. With a few brief tips regarding the use and preparation of herbs, you will be able to prepare a perfect cup of herbal tea.
Ingrediants
- Herbal tea in sachet or leaves
- Waterfall
- Sugar, honey or other sweetener to taste
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making a Herbal Blend
Step 1. Combine ginger and ginkgo biloba to give you a boost
Mix 4 tablespoons (60 g) of dried ginger with 4 tablespoons (60 g) of dry ginkgo biloba extract to make one liter of herbal tea. Both ingredients are very popular in China. Drink this herbal tea when you feel the need for more energy and mental clarity.
Step 2. Make a soothing blend with chamomile, lemongrass and rose petals
Combine 4 tablespoons (60 g) of chamomile, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of lemongrass and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of rose petals to make one liter of herbal tea. The ingredients must be dry. You can change the quantities while keeping the proportions intact to prepare a smaller or larger amount of herbal tea.
Chamomile is known for its relaxing properties. You can also consider incorporating lavender or rosemary into the blend as they have a similar calming effect
Step 3. Use mint and ginger when you have an upset stomach
Blend 2 teaspoons (10 g) of dried mint leaves, half a teaspoon (2.5 g) of fennel seeds, and a pinch of dry ginger to make one cup (250 ml) of herbal tea. You can easily adapt the quantities to prepare more or less herbal tea by multiplying the dose of each ingredient by the desired number of cups.
- Mint, ginger, calendula, and nepeta cataria (better known as catnip) can help you find relief if you have indigestion or bloating.
- If you want to use fresh mint, you need more, i.e. 600 to 700 g of leaves to prepare a liter of herbal tea.
Step 4. Use licorice root if you have a cough or sore throat
Combine 4 tablespoons (60 g) of licorice root, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of valerian root and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of marshmallow leaves to make a mixture to use in case of flu. With these doses you can prepare a liter of herbal tea.
Consider adding meadow clover, yarrow, or thyme to take advantage of its soothing properties on the throat
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Infusion
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan or kettle
Heat it over high heat on the stove to bring it to a boil quickly. Since boiling water evaporates, there is no need to dose it precisely at this stage. When it has reached a brisk boil, turn off the stove and wait about thirty seconds before measuring the required amount.
- Use an electric kettle if you don't have a stove or other heat source.
- Keep in mind that you can also get a great herbal tea with a cold infusion. In this case you will have to put the ingredients in the water about 12 hours before drinking the herbal tea. Place the bowl with the water and herbs in the refrigerator.
Step 2. Heat the teapot and cups before pouring the herbal tea
Put them under warm running water from the sink. Use the hottest water possible. Warming the cups before pouring the herbal tea is to prevent the properties of the herbs from deteriorating due to the sudden change in temperature.
- Place a lid on the cup or teapot to retain heat as you continue to make the tea.
- Preheating the cups also helps prevent the tea from cooling down before you have time to drink it.
Step 3. Pour the herbal mixture into the cup or teapot
Add the exact dose of ingredients directly to the cup, teapot or infuser. Use 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 g) of herbs to make a cup (250 ml) of herbal tea or about 8 tablespoons (120 g) to make a liter. If the herbal tea is in a sachet, follow the instructions on the package. Generally, a single sachet is enough to prepare a cup (250 ml) of herbal tea.
For convenience, you can purchase a tea infuser in which to insert the selected leaves. In this way, after the infusion time has elapsed, you can remove it from the cup and empty it easily, but above all you will not need to filter the herbal tea
Step 4. Pour the water over the herbal tea ingredients and leave them to infuse for 5 to 8 minutes
If you don't know what the capacity of the cup or teapot is, you can measure the boiling water using a liquid dispenser before pouring it over the ingredients. Be careful not to burn yourself and put a lid on the cup or plug the teapot. Wait 5 to 8 minutes depending on the desired intensity of taste.
If you want the tea to have a stronger taste, extend the brewing time or use more leaves
Part 3 of 3: Serve the herbal tea
Step 1. Filter the herbal tea if necessary
If you used a herbal tea, pour the water from the teapot into the cups, filtering it with a colander. Otherwise, remove the sachet from the cup and place it on a plate (if you want to squeeze it when it has cooled) or throw it directly into the waste bin.
Some teapots contain a special infuser. In this case, the use of the strainer is superfluous
Step 2. Sweeten the herbal tea to taste
You can use sugar or an artificial sweetener. Add it to the hot tea to make it melt easily. Stir with the spoon to help it dissolve.
Sweetening the herbal tea using honey from a local producer is the ideal solution
Step 3. Accompany the herbal tea with a snack
Get comfortable, relax and enjoy your herbal tea while you nibble on something good. You can create different combinations depending on the ingredients you used. For example, mint goes perfectly with biscuits and chocolate desserts, while if you have prepared a fruit tea you can treat yourself to a slice of tart or a salty snack with a slightly sour taste.
