Paula Youmell, RN Registered Nurse, Natural Health Educator, Author
Making Herbal “Tea” Infusions
Herbs are food:
http://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2013/10/19/medicinal-herbs-are-food
I recommend making infusions, not herbal teas. Herbal teas are when you steep the herbs for 35 minutes to enjoy the flavors of wonderful herbal plants. Infusions are when you steep the herbs for at least 3-4 hours, covered in a quart canning jar. I recommend steeping them overnight in the canning jar or the pot you boiled the water in, covered. You can strain the herbs in the AM and reheat the infusion, oh so very gently to preserve the nutrients, or enjoy at room temperature. Making Infusions: Boil water. Measure leaf and flower herbs while water is heating. Use approximately 2 tsp. of dried herbs per cup of water. To make a stronger medicinal infusion, use more herbs. When water is boiling shut off and add dried herbs. Cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes. I make medicinal infusions at night, let steep – covered – overnight, and stain to use in AM. If making infusions (called a decoction) with seeds, roots or barks: chop pieces as small as you can (roots & bark, seeds stay whole or you can gently crush). When water is boiling, reduce heat to very gentle simmer. Add herb pieces, cover, and simmer very gently for 1520 minutes. Again, I let them sit, covered, overnight and strain in the AM. Do not let this boil as it ruins the medicinal properties and nutrients in the herbal infusions medicine. If making mixed infusions with parts that need to simmer and the leaves & flowers that do not need to simmer, simmer parts first then turn off heat and add leaves / flowers and let steep, covered, overnight. I recommend making a quart each night and sipping 1 cup, 4 times throughout the day, each day. I usually make ½ gallon to 1 gallon at a time so I do not have to make medicinal infusions every night. You can drink it cold (keep in the refrigerator) or you can gently warm. Do not over heat tea, do not boil tea, do not every make tea or re-heat tea in a microwave. Microwaves are toxic.
Herbs to use for tea infusions: This is just a tiny list to get you started. Nettles are my favorite, high mineral, nourishing herb.
Nettles: a fabulous nutritional herb feeding all body cells. This is a leaf
Rosemary: good for circulation, brain health, cardiac health…. Rosemary is a leaf but is hard when dried. I grind it in my blender and then add to the hot water, cover, and steep.
Peppermint: a calming stimulant (rosemary is as well), as oxymoronic as this sounds, they pep you up in a relaxing manner, unlike caffeine that revs the nervous system but also wears it out (and wears out your adrenal glands, herbs feed – nourish your glands). Peppermint is also a leaf. High Mineral tea: restores minerals to the body cells that have been depleted from refined foods, toxins, stress, and life as we know it! Herbs: stinging nettles, mullein, comfrey leaf, oat straw, alfalfa leaf, red raspberry leaf. (Comfrey leaf is an amazing bone builder. However we have been told to avoid it internally as it causes liver damage. I drank comfrey infusion tea, mixed with other mineral rich herbs, throughout my pregnancies to build baby bones and preserve mine. My liver is just fine. I recommend and trust comfrey leaf with my whole heart, body, and soul.) There is a powdered herbal blend called BFC (bone, flesh, cartilage) that makes a great bone medicinal infusion. The package does say “not for internal use.” I ignore it; as an herbalist I know better. The infusion can also be used as a poultice on the area that needs healing: broken bone, degenerative spine, skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis, etc. http://www.drchristophersherbs.com/products/bf-c-formula-bulk
*An infusion is a long steeped herbal tea.
This gives ample time for the medicinal, healing, nourishing constituents (nutrients to add to your cellular “savings account”) time to be steeped into the water. The 3 minute steeping most people do makes a nicely flavored tea but longer steeping time makes a medicinal, nutritional infusion. Feeding those beautiful body cells is important!
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