How to Brew a Loose Leaf Herbal Tea in a Teapot
To brew loose leaf tea using a standard teapot, first, fill your stove top or electric tea kettle with cold water and bring it to a boil.
While the water is heating up, place your desired amount of loose leaf tea into the teapot. A good rule of thumb is to use one teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 8 ounces of water.
Once the water has reached the boiling point, pour the hot water into the teapot over the tea leaves.
Cover the teapot with a lid and let the tea sit for a steep time of about 3–5 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor of the tea.
When the desired steeping time has passed, use a strainer to pour the tea into your cup, leaving the loose leaves behind in the teapot. Serve and enjoy!
How to Make a Single Serving of Herbal Tea
If a whole pot of tea is too much and you would prefer to make a single serving of tea, the single serving process is pretty much the same!
While the water in your stove top or electric tea kettle is coming to a boil (which is the optimal water temperature), place your desired amount of loose leaf tea into a strainer and set it over your mug. If you don’t have a strainer, you can also use a tea ball or a paper tea filter as a tea infuser. This method is also the best if you are using prepared tea bags.
Once the water has boiled, pour it over the tea leaves in the strainer and let the tea steep for 5-10 minutes. Again, the longer the steep the stronger the flavor.
When the tea is done steeping, remove the strainer or tea ball and discard or compost the tea leaves. If you used a paper tea filter or prepared tea bag, simply lift it out of the mug and compost it.
Infusions
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 like roots and bark. The infusion can be prepared in a French press, stainless steel pot, ceramic or glass teapot, or a stainless steel or bamboo infuser. Some herbalists use mason jars for their infusions but I do not recommend this practice as mason jars can sometimes have cracks and break when exposed to boiling water. If you really want to use a mason jar, make sure to place it in the sink when you pour your water in case it breaks. An 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. After straining the herb, the tea can be drank immediately, or cooled to room temperature and refrigerated.
Decoctions
A decoction is basically a simmered tea 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 20 minutes to a half hour. Take off the heat, strain and enjoy. If you are making a tea mixture containing herbs to be infused and decocted, simply make your decoction, turn off the heat, and add your herbs to be infused.