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To make herb tea is extremely easy.
I often get asked 'what is the difference between tisanes and teas.
There is no real difference in the way they're made, but a tisane generally refers to a herbal remedy and you'd have a herbal tea as you would any other hot drink - because you like the taste or aroma.
You can try a sample lesson to help you decide if the Herbal Academy of New England is the right choice for you - follow the link below.
It's not something to concern yourself with - just enjoy and call it what you like :-)
It is really simple to make.
Simply take the stems and/or leaves of the plants, bruise them by crushing in your hand, pop them into a teapot with just boiled water and let them brew for about 10 minutes.
You can use a tea strainer to filter the herbs out as you pour from the jug into the cup.
You can make one serving of herb tea in a mug or cup - use a saucer to cover it whilst it brews which stops the volatile oils from escaping.
I like to keep one of those little coffee percolators that you can find - they've got a plunger that you use to separate the liquid from the leaves - they can be very pretty to look at too.
It's called a cafetiere and there's a photo at the top of this page. You put the herbs in the bottom, then pour over the hot water. Rest the plunger on the top of the water and allow the lid to cover the top of the jug - that keeps the volatile oils from escaping. Let the tea brew for about 10 minutes. Use water just off the boil, not bubbling from the kettle.
After 10 minutes, push the plunger down and that will take the herbs to the bottom of the pot.
If you like, you can add sweetener - honey or similar - to taste.
You can use dried herbs if you like - around 1 teaspoon is enough - or fresh, in which case you would need about three times as much. You'll soon get the hang of it.
More often than not, I grab a few leaves, give them a rinse, crush them in my hand and put them in the pot - you could chop them up or cut them into smaller pieces with scissors.
There's a list at the bottom of the page here for specific herbs to help with specific remedies. I used to have the list on both pages, but Google didn't like it and slammed me with penalties for 'duplicate content'!
The information on this website is in no way intended as medical advice and nor should it be taken as such.
If symptoms don't improve, consult your doctor.
If you have a medical condition, you must consult a Herbal Practitioner or a Medical Doctor.
If you are pregnant, you must consult your doctor or nurse before trying any herbal remedy.
If you are already taking pharmaceuticals, then speak to your doctor about taking herbs - some drugs react badly with herbs and you need to know that you are not going to do more harm than good.
There are some great reusable gizmos if you're making herbal tea. It's best to buy your own herb material or grow it yourself if you can.
That means you're going to have loose tea of course and bits floating on the top are an irritation. Herb tea is supposed to be relaxing!
So, one of these tea infusers or a special pot will save you the problems.
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