How To Prepare An Herbal Tea

The herbal tea is not just a hot drink with a thousand virtues, the herbal tea is a real cuddle!

There are many people who allow themselves at least one moment of relaxation a day drinking a good herbal tea, perhaps prepared with plants grown directly on their balcony. But the herbal tea is not only a pleasure for the palate, but also for the whole organism that benefits from it especially in case of colds , sore throats and fever thanks to the beneficial properties that bring the mix of medicinal plants of which it is composed. The leaves of the coffee plant, for example, if taken in the form of a decoction are a real natural remedy against diabetes and bad cholesterol, while the infusion of Treviso red radicchio fights free radicals.

How to choose an herbal tea

The antioxidants and vitamins in herbal teas are excellent for helping fight illnesses and diseases. They guard against damage caused by oxidative and decrease the chance of developing chronic diseases. Elderberry, echinacea and ginger are some of the best herbal teas for boosting your immune system. For metabolic support, herbal tea is crucial.

Each herbal tea is different from another in flavor and virtue, but not only. The term "herbal tea" includes 3 ways in which it can be prepared, which differ in the quality of herbs used, temperatures and resting times.

Let's see in detail what we are talking about:

- Infused , it is prepared by boiling the water and letting the infused herbs rest.

- Decoction , once the water has been boiled, and then the necessary herbs have been introduced, it will be necessary to bring it to a boil again and then let it rest.

- Macerated , it is the infusion that takes place cold. The herbs must be kept for a few hours in cold water before being able to drink the mixture, obviously cold.

Infusions are perfect as anti-inflammatories and if you are looking for a cough remedy you could choose lime, sage or mallow as herbs, or licorice, star anise, fennel or coriander as a digestive. If you want something soothing, you could buy chamomile or valerian, ideal especially to help you sleep, or passion flower, lavender and verbena to fight depression. To drain and lose weight there is green tea, mint, lemon balm and cherry, but if we want an energizer then we must aim for ginseng, guarana and yerba mate, especially indicated in the changes of season.

How to make an herbal tea

Preparing an herbal tea is really very easy! After choosing which one to do, you can prepare it in three simple steps:

1. Bring the water to a boil and then transfer it to a teacup.

2. Then add the herbs.

3. Leave to infuse for at least 5 minutes.

If necessary, filter the herbal tea and choose, according to your taste, whether to add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten. Obviously there are small variations on the method of preparing an herbal tea.

Here are some herbal teas that you can easily prepare:

Ginger

tea For ginger tea you need to boil some water and then dip 4-5 thin slices of peeled ginger per cup. After a couple of minutes the classic pungent smell of ginger will be released and you can then turn off the flame and transfer the herbal tea into the cup. It is also possible to make a preparation for the honey, lemon and ginger herbal tea that can be kept for about a month in the refrigerator. Here the recipe.

Fennel

tea The fennel tea is prepared by immersing 1 level teaspoon of fennel seeds in a cup containing boiling water. It must be left to infuse in a covered cup, preferably in an infusion pot, for at least 10 minutes before it can be filtered and sweetened.

Orange and cinnamon

tea To prepare the orange and cinnamon tea, just boil some water and transfer it to a cup with the juice of half an orange, a teaspoon of honey and the cinnamon stick. Wait a few minutes before enjoying it.

Draining

herbal tea The draining herbal tea can be prepared with different herbs. You can therefore buy birch, nettle and dandelion to create a mix of herbs or choose the simpler preparation made using green tea. 3 grams of green tea in a cup of hot, not boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.

How to store an herbal tea

The drying of the herbs used for the herbal teas ensures that these are kept for a long time without ever losing their properties.

Despite these advantages, however, there are factors that can influence conservation: light , temperature and chopping of herbs.

Both light and temperature are able to increase the reaction of the active components while humidity also facilitates the formation of mold. On the other hand, chopping herbs considerably shortens storage times, even though it is sometimes essential.

The best thing is therefore to keep the herbs for herbal teas in jars suitable for herbal teas to be kept away from sources of light, but also of heat. It is therefore preferable to keep the jars away from the kitchen stove and not to keep the herbs for a period longer than one year.