Today, a friend called me to ask how she should make an infusion (cup of tea) with the loose organic lemon balm and echinacea she got from my apothecary.

She was a little confused because she had heard me on a CD recording of a class I did, where I taught moms how to prepare a decoction for their little ones. This CD is not available on this site but will be available in the future as a video for all of my Gmail subscribers and for those in my online group.

So just in case, you’re wondering, here is how you make a cup of tea.

Now, I must briefly interject here and let you know that, depending on the herb you are using, you might have to make a decoction instead of an herbal infusion. Decoctions are another way to prepare herbs for your cup of tea, which is actually called a tisane, not tea, but we won’t get into those details now.

An Infusion is also called steeping. Steeping is best when using plants, soft leaves, and flowers with volatile oils. Peppermint, Lemon Balm, and Chamomile flowers are examples of herbs you would prepare for tea using an infusion.

A Decoction is always made by cooking the herbs. Decoctions are meant for roots, stems, barks, seeds like Fenugreek, and coarse leaves. It is essential to cook the herbs because, by cooking, you are allowing the herbs to break down and release their medicinal properties into the water. Elderberries, Astragalus, and Echinacea root are examples of herbs you would prepare with the decoction method.

If you’re making an infusion with your loose herbs, you will have to:

Boil water, and once it is boiling, turn off the heat. Place your loose organic herbs in a glass teapot, glass jar, or ceramic cup. Then, pour the boiling water over the herbs, cover, and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your preference for strength. Once steeping is complete, strain your tea, sweeten it with raw organic honey, coconut nectar, or maple syrup, and enjoy.

To make a decoction:

Put herbs and water in a pot together. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, keep covered, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Once you’re done, strain and enjoy with your favorite sweetener, as mentioned above.

I hope this post was helpful.

Have a great weekend.