The internet is awash with great information about tea-making of the Camelia sinensis kind (black, green, white, oolong. jasmine and others). These teas are delicious and to be honest, Ceylon Black is my first breakfast cuppa, poured from a small, elegant silver teapot into a huge cup. With milk. It’s part of the daily ritual.
I then tend to enjoy herbal teas throughout the day - for relaxation, as a pick-me-up, perhaps to help with the onset of a cough, or to help with the many minor ailments of middle age. So, I think it’s time to shift the spotlight to teas made with herbs from wild gardens, orchards and paddocks.
This series of Journal Posts aims to take a long look at how to get the most from herbal teas with short articles examining preparation techniques, brewing guides, teabags versus loose leaf, teas for children, syrups and additives, making your own blends as well as cosmetic, garden and household uses for herbal tea. Let’s begin with water temperature.
What’s the best water temperature for making herbal tea?
There are so many different herbs that can be used to make a tea blend, that it’s hard to generalise about the best water temperature for making herbal tea. Having said that, a good rule of thumb for commercial teas is to wait 30 seconds after the kettle has boiled before pouring water over your tea or teabag. Steep for between 3 and 5 minutes in a covered cup or teapot. This method is called a hot tea infusion and is the most popular herbal tea-making technique.
Why does water temperature matter?
It matters because the tea-making process is all about taste, speed and efficacy. Using boiling water can burn fresh herbs, delicate petals and evaporate off flavours from aromatic leaves, like peppermint. Using tepid water can slow down brewing times resulting in a weak, tasteless tea.
However there are excellent tea-making methods that use cold water, long brew times (cold infusion) or very simmering at high temperatures (decoction).
Let me explain a little more. The cold tea infusion method, aka cold brew, uses cold or room temperature water to steep tea in a sealed jar, for up to 12 hours. The jar is placed in a cool, shady place for the duration and produces a more complex flavoured brew. A sun tea is a cold tea infusion, except that the sealed jar is placed in a sunny position, to gently warm and absorb the sun’s vibrational energy.Both these methods are excellent for delicate plant ingredients like flowers and aromatic leaf blends.
Iced tea uses the hot tea infusion method, which is then cooled and served over with crushed ice. It’s often used with fruit and herb ingredients.
A decoction is a different ball-game, and is generally used for hard herbs, such as bark chips, roots, seeds and whole spices. It is made by bringing cold water (or milk) to the boil, adding herbs and spices, reducing the temperature and simmering for an amount of time. Chai teas are a good example of this.
To sum up, the best water temperature for making an herbal brew depends on which herbs you’re using and how long you have. Hot infusion, cold infusion, sun tea, iced tea and decoctions are all excellent ways to get the most from herbal tea.
Extra Tips
loose leaf tea is best made in a teapot, tea flask, plunger or an infuser with a lid. A teabag should be steeped in a covered container eg a cup with the saucer resting on top of the rim, to keep any volatile oils from evaporating off
use the purest water you can. Water with a high lime content or ‘hard’ water can slow down infusion. If this is the case in your area, consider adding a dash of lemon juice while it steeps.
for a stronger flavour, increase the serving size or steeping time, though there is a risk of increased bitterness, especially if black or green tea is part of the tea blend. Steeping time is determined by the water temperature, type of herbs, particle size, therapeutic quality and taste preference. More about steeping tea in part 2
buy organic tea for the best flavour, potency and purity.
Next: Getting the Most from Herbal Tea: A Steeping Guide (Part 2)
