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Although herbal infusions can be enjoyed by just about anyone, they are a special treat for gardeners since we can grow uncommon and hard-to-find herbs right in our own space. They can be a lovely, simple way to use your fresh garden herbs as well as the herbs you dried for later.
In this article, we'll cover the following:
This article focuses on an herbal preparation. See the Using Herbs article for more information about using herbs. And see the Herbal Preparations Overview and the other articles in the Read More section at the bottom of the article for other ideas for ways to preserve your herb harvest.
Let's get right into it!
What Is an Infusion?
An infusion is the most common way of preparing an herbal tea. So why use the term "infusion" instead of simply "tea"?
Sometimes we do exactly that, as the finished product of this process can be called a tea or an infusion. But "tea" can refer to both infusions and decoctions. Decoctions are prepared differently. So "infusion" is used to be more precise about the method of creating this type of herbal tea.
NOTE: Another term that you may occasionally encounter is "tisane." This term was used at one time to differentiate caffeinated teas from Camellia sinensis (commonly called the tea plant or tea leaf plant), including green, white, black, and oolong teas, from those made from other herbs. But this word has largely fallen out of use among both herbalists and casual tea drinkers. Tea, herbal tea, and infusion/decoction are the accepted terms today.
Though it varies by plant, infusions are generally made with the leaves, flowers, and other aerial parts of a plant. This contrasts with decoctions, which are typically made with seeds, roots, and bark.
Infusions can be made with one herb (called a simple) or more than one herb (called a blend).
The below steps describe the preferred method of preparation, which includes loose herbs and a mini-strainer. Infusions can also be prepared using teabags. Teabags do not allow as much of the herbs' surface area to be exposed to the water, and they are less convenient for fresh herbs. But you can use commercial teabags or make your own teabags if you really don't want to strain the herbs.
There are two main types of infusions, hot infusions and cold infusions. Cold infusions are covered in the How to Make a Cold Herbal Infusion article here.
Read on to learn how to make a hot herbal infusion!
How to Make a Hot Infusion
A hot infusion is an infusion made with hot (usually boiling or recently boiled) water. You can prepare one using the following steps:
Step 1: Measure and Boil the Water
It is best to measure out the water you will use for your infusion ahead of time and boil only that water. See the next step for proportion suggestions.
Measuring the water is especially important if you are using a heating device in which the water comes into contact with stainless steel or other metal since leftover water sitting in the bottom can lead to rust.
If you do have extra water left over after preparing your infusion, be sure to dump that water out immediately. In the case of an electric kettle, it can also be helpful to leave the lid open so that any remaining water or condensed water can evaporate.
Transfer the water into your chosen water heater and bring it to a boil. A few water heater options are as follows:
- Stovetop kettle
- Electric kettle
- Small saucepan
- Coffeemaker, as long as there are no remaining coffee grounds inside
Step 2: Prepare the Herbs
This step can also be done while waiting for the water to boil in Step 1 rather than afterward.
Place the herbs in the vessel where they will be steeping. I almost always use a mason jar like a Ball jar.
You can mash or crumble the herbs as you add them to the steeping vessel to break down the herbs' cell walls and to increase surface area exposed to the water, both of which result in herbal properties infusing into the water more quickly, efficiently, and abundantly.
If you are using the herbs for a specific purpose such as for their nervine or anti-inflammatory properties, use these proportions:
- 1 tablespoon of dried herbs per 8 ounces of water
- 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water
On the other hand, if you are just interested in a flavorful tea to sip without concern for the herbal properties, use these proportions:
- 1 teaspoon of dried herbs per 8 ounces of water
- 2-3 teaspoons of fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water
Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs since their water content has been removed. This is why there is a difference in the suggested ratios.
Step 3: Pour and Cover
The next step is to pour the hot or boiling water over the herbs to start the steeping process. The water should fully cover the herbs.After pouring the water, cover the steeping vessel with a lid or cloth.
This will result in a stronger flavor and prevent some herbal properties, especially volatile oils, from evaporating outside the steeping vessel via steam.
Step 4: Infuse
This next step is called by different terms – steep, infuse, macerate – but all of these terms mean to let the herb(s) sit in the hot water for a number of minutes so that their properties and flavors can permeate the water that they are sitting in.
The length of infusion time varies by herb and personal preference. Many fall in the range of 10-30 minutes.
You may prefer to let your herbal tea infuse for longer than 30 minutes, such as an hour or a few hours, if you prefer stronger tea as long as you are using an herb that is generally recognized as safe without strict dosing considerations. This is sometimes referred to as a long infusion.
Caffeinated teas like Camellia sinensis teas (green, white, black, and oolong teas) and yerba mate should only be steeped for 2-5 minutes to prevent overwhelming bitterness and, for some people, digestive irritation from the high tannin count.
Other teas like chamomile and lavender have a sweet flavor for their first 3-5 minutes of infusion but become bitter if steeped longer than that. So those with sensitive palates may want to steep these herbs for only a few minutes.
Step 5: Strain and Enjoy
The final step is to strain the herbs. Place the vessel you will be drinking out of or serving from on the counter. I usually use a second mason jar.
Place a fine-mesh strainer on top of the drinking vessel. I use this one. If possible, the strainer should cover the entire opening of the drinking vessel so that no herbs sneak into the strained infusion.
Uncover the steeping vessel and pour the herbs and liquid through the strainer into the drinking vessel.
After straining, press down on the herbs in the strainer to extract the last, most concentrated bit of liquid from the herbs.
If you are reusing your herbs, this is a good time to empty them from the strainer back into the steeping vessel and either start infusing your second batch or re-cover the vessel until you are ready to do so. I almost always reuse my herbs for a second infusion. Some people use their herbs 3-5 times. Personally I have found that uses 3-5 result in too weak of a tea to justify preparation, but feel free to experiment for yourself.
And enjoy! You just made a hot infusion, one method of making herbal tea.
Infusion Storage Tips
Both hot and cold infusions should be consumed within 24 hours of straining for optimal quality. If you will not be drinking your infusion within the first couple hours after straining, refrigerate it until you are ready to consume it.
Infusions and decoctions can also be poured into ice cube trays and frozen for longer-term storage. You can then take 1-2 ice cubes out at a time and defrost them in a mug or add them to a smoothie or other beverage for an herbal boost. This is a great time-saver that works especially well for large batches.
Read More
Some herbs used for infusions have other uses in herbal and culinary preparations. Read more in the simple uses articles for some common tea herbs:
- Simple Uses for Chamomile
- Simple Uses for Peppermint
- Simple Uses for Lavender
- Simple Uses for Marshmallow
And check out these related articles: