Did you know a single cup of brewed tea can have up to 10 times more antioxidants than fruits and veggies? Consuming herbal tea can be very powerful for your health, but you have to know how to steep tea properly. Use this guide to learn how to maximize the medicinal properties of your tea, tips for loose-leaf or tea bag preparation, steep time, water temperature, and more!
Why I Love Medicinal Tea
As part of our homesteading journey, I enjoy studying how to safely use herbal medicine at home. There are many ways to incorporate herbs into your wellness routine, but a great way to start is by drinking herbal tea.
I prepare herbal tea regularly. Each blend has a deliberate purpose to promote healing and support health. Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Herbal Cold and Flu Tea Recipe for Comfort & Relief
- Hop Tea + Medicinal Benefits of Hops
- Homemade Dandelion Root Tea Latte
- Immune Boosting Tea (Throat Soothing!)
- Instant Herbal Iced Tea (Instant Cold Brew)
Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to properly make a cup of herbal tea, leading them to conclude that herbs don’t work. If you’re just dropping one tea bag into a cup, pouring some water over it, and drinking it really quickly, then it’s probably not doing very much for you.
In herbalism, we must remember that you need to get decent quantities of an herb into your body regularly. Many store-bought tea bags honestly just don’t have that much herb in them, so it’s recommended that you find high-quality sources (or grow your own herbs.)
It’s important to note that I am not a certified medical practitioner. This post is not intended to diagnose or treat but is for informational purposes only. Please contact your healthcare professional before introducing new herbal and natural remedies into your wellness routine.
Regular Tea vs. Medicinal Tea
When developing your herbalism skills, it’s important to understand the difference between regular tea and medicinal tea.
Regular tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant and has various flavors and caffeine levels. Medicinal teas, however, use a combination of herbs and plants for their health benefits to create natural remedies.
Tips for the Best Cup of Medicinal Tea
The key to mastering the medicinal tea-steeping process is to begin by having a good understanding of the herbs you are using. If there is a specific herb you would like to learn about, refer to our herb archives.
- Quality – Opt for high-quality loose-leaf tea or tea bags from reputable brands. We trust our friends at Farmhouse Teas. They are a family-owned and operated farm that has become my go-to for all teas and herbs that I don’t grow myself.
- Measure the Tea – To have enough herbs to work medicinally, I recommend beginning with two tea bags or two teaspoons of loose-leaf herbs for every 8 ounces of water. Homesteading Hack: You can go anywhere up to a tablespoon. Often times, anything beyond a tablespoon and it will start getting hard to drink because it will get so strong, and that we would actually call an infusion. For medicinal tea to have an effect, you will probably need to drink at least three cups of properly prepared tea.
- Temperature – The right temperature affects how well the tea’s compounds are extracted and its taste. For herbal medicinal teas, the optimal temperature is just under a boil at 208°F.
- Timing – To release the herbs’ medicinal properties, your tea should steep longer than recommended for normal tea; about 15 minutes.
- Use a Cover – As the essential oils in your herbs are released, they can escape through the steam. Using a cover can help retain these medicinal properties. Some tea cups come with customized covers, but a canning lid or saucer works well too. If you are steeping in a teapot, use a tea cozy or a tea towel to cover the opening of your teapot as your tea steeps.
- Squeeze the Teabag – It is not recommended to squeeze the bags of regular tea (camellia sinensis). Squeezing these teabags releases a high concentration of tannins, making tea bitter. However, herbal teas are low in tannins, so squeezing these teabags will yield the best concentration of medicinal properties in your herbal tea.
- Don’t Stir – Stirring tea while it steeps is a mistake that can ruin the taste and allow the medicinal properties to escape through the steam. Stirring inhibits the natural way tea leaves release flavors. Simply allow the leaves to infuse undisturbed for their best aromas and benefits.
Supplies Needed
- Herbal Tea – Loose-leaf herbs are the most economical choice but feel free to use tea bags if you prefer them. We like using these fillable tea bags for our loose-leaf tea.
- Steeping Vessel – You can steep your tea directly in your mug, use a teapot, or even a French press. Here are some of our favorite vessels for steeping tea.
- Cover – If your steeping vessel does not come with a cover, use a lid for your mug or a towel to cover your teapot.
- Strainer – If you are using loose leaf herbal tea, you will need a fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs after steeping.
- Mug – It’s best if your mug is pre-warmed with hot water. That way, it doesn’t just suck the heat right out of your tea.
- Sweetener – Sweeteners are optional, but many herbs’ flavors are enhanced with a little bit of honey.
How to Steep Tea for Medicinal Purposes
- Place two teaspoons of loose-leaf herbs (or two tea bags) into a cup, teapot or French press, and cover it with freshly boiled water cooled to about 208°F.
- Cover your vessel of choice with a lid, tea cozy or towel to trap the medicinal properties as the tea steeps.
- Allow the tea to steep for about 15 minutes.
- Pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer into your pre-warmed mug (or remove the tea bags and squeeze them into your cup before discarding).
- Feel free to sweeten your tea with a little bit of honey and enjoy at least three cups of tea to reap the medicinal benefits.
Did you follow this tutorial? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your medicinal tea and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
Using Herbal Medicine
Medicinal tea is a simple and inexpensive way to start with herbalism and will build your confidence to journey further down an empowering path of natural wellness.
If you are ready to learn more about herbal remedies and start healing your family naturally, the Herbal Medicine Cabinet: Colds and Flu class is designed just for you.
Sign up today, and learn how to stock your herbal medicine cabinet using simple herbs to safely, naturally and effectively treat your family this cold and flu season.
