Tea is more than just a drink—it’s a ritual that can boost your mood, nourish your body, and enhance your well-being. Whether you're a seasoned tea enthusiast or just starting your journey, our guide provides simple methods to brew delicious teas. From green and black teas to herbal and medicinal infusions, discover easy recipes that fit your lifestyle and learn how specific herbs can support digestion, energy, sleep, and more.
Let's elevate your tea experience with these homemade herbal tea recipes!
Tea Benefits and Recipes
Green, Black and White
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. tea leaves
Directions
- Fill your favorite infuser or reusable tea bag with 1 teaspoon of tea and place in cup.
- Pour 8 ounces of boiled water over the tea and let steep for the appropriate amount of time, or until desired strength.
- I recommend 1-2 minutes for Green Sencha, Jasmine Green Tea, Jasmine Pearls. Or 3-5 minutes for most green, black, and white teas.
Tea tip: To experience the flavor nuances of oolong or to gently build up the flavors of green tea and pu’erh, use multiple infusions of the same tea leaves. Generally, I like to add 30-60 seconds for each subsequent infusion.
Herbal Tea: Everyday Infusion
This method of brewing is ideal for herbal blends made from the aerial (above ground) parts of plants.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. herbs
Directions
- Fill a reusable tea infuser or a disposable tea filter with 1 tablespoon of herb blend.
- Pour 8 ounces of boiling water over the tea and steep for 3-5 minutes, or until desired strength.
- Sip and enjoy!
Herbal Tea: Decoctions
This method of brewing is perfect for rooty, woody, or berry-filled tea blends.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. herbs
Directions
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of herb blend and place in a small saucepan.
- Cover with 8 ounces of water and slowly heat to simmer.
- Cover and gently simmer for 10-12 minutes, being careful not to boil.
- Strain into a mug and enjoy!
How to Make Medicinal Infusions
- Gently warm a quart-sized glass jar by rinsing it with warm water.
- Heat up about a quart of water.
- Scoop 1 oz. (about 1 cup) of dried herb into a quart-sized glass jar.
- Once the water has boiled, pour the hot water into the jar and stir in the herb.
- Tea Tip: pouring hot water into cold jars can cause the glass to break! This is always a bummer and can be dangerous, so be sure your jar is not too cold.
- Allow the infusion to steep 4 - 10 hours.
- Tea Tip: Do this at night before you go to bed. Then it’s ready to go the next morning.
- Strain your nourishing herbal infusion.
- Consume within 24 hours and enjoy beverage!
- Keep strained herbal infusion in the refrigerator.
Best Herbs for Medicinal Infusions
Nettle, oatstraw, red clover, raspberry leaf, marshmallow root, linden leaf and flower, and hawthorn leaf.
How to Make Medicinal Decoctions
Decoctions are simmered teas that are perfect for extracting the properties of hard roots, dried berries, barks, and seeds. They are much stronger in flavor than herbal infusions and also more concentrated.
Directions
- Place 3 tablespoons of dried herbs into a small sauce pan.
- Cover the herbs with a quart of cold water.
- Slowly heat the water to a simmer and cover.
- Allow to gently simmer for 20 to 45 minutes.
- Strain into a quart jar, but do not discard the herbs. Some water will have evaporated, so your strained liquid will not fill the jar.
Tea Tips:
- Most herbal infusions and decoctions will last up to a week in the refrigerator if you want to make a larger batch.
- Add a bit of raw local honey or fruit juice to sweeten your infusion.
- Freeze in ice cube trays or popsicle molds. Kids will love these herbal ice pops! You can also put them in bubbly water for a fun herbal spritzer.
- Mix with juice or lemonade.
Herbal Tea Benefits
Herbal Teas: Digestion*
- Ginger
- Licorice root
- Peppermint
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Fennel
- Slippery elm
- Marshmallow root
- Lemon balm
- Bitter herbs or bitters
Herbal Teas: Sleep*
- Valerian root
- Skullcap
- Wood betony
- Passionflower
- Chamomile
- Lavender
Herbal Teas: De-Stressing*
- Damiana
- Skullcap
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Herbal Teas: Energy*
- Ashwaganda
- Eleuthero
- Rhodiola
- Ginseng
- Schisandra berry
- Licorice root
Herbal Teas: Skin Health*
- Burdock root
- Milk thistle
- Nettles
- Rose hips
- Licorice root
- Raspberry leaf
Herbal Teas: Immune Health*
- Ginger
- Echinacea
- Turmeric
- Mullien
- Elderberry
- Licorice root
- Rose hips
More Resources
Where to Get Bulk Herbs Online (Mostly US)
Bay Area Small Businesses
Tea Cookbook
*These are not health claims and these statements have not been approved by the FDA.
