Teas, aqueous extracts of medicinal plants, can be prepared differently, depending on which active ingredients the plant contains. This blog post describes the three most commonly used methods: infusions, decoction, and macerate.
The most delicate parts of plants, such as leaves or flowers, are high in essential oils, so we steep them in a cup or container with a lid for a few minutes. Herbal teas prepared this way are infusions.
Herbal teas from plants and parts of plants that contain active ingredients released at higher temperatures and soaking in boiling water for longer periods are prepared as decoctions.
The last method used for plants with a high content of mucilage and essential oils is the macerate. In this process, we soak the plant or plant parts in cold water for a long time.
Such preparations can be used for drinking, gargling, rinsing, poultices, and bath additions. All three ways of preparing the teas are described below.
An infusion is the most popular and straightforward tea preparation method. It is achieved by pouring hot water over dried tea leaves or herbs, allowing them to steep, and then removing the plant matter before drinking.
Just before brewing, crush the herb or fruit you want to use in your tea into smaller pieces and pour hot or boiling water over the ground herb or fruit. If the recipe specifies the quantity for dry herbs and you have fresh herbs available, increase the quantity of the dry recipe to double or triple the amount.
Leave the infusion steeped for a while (depending on the herb), most often for 5 to 10 minutes, in a covered container or cup. It must be covered to prevent the essential oils from evaporating during this time. Afterward, strain the infusion.
The infusion method is mainly used to prepare teas from herbs containing essential oils. It is best to prepare fresh infusions every day.
The soaking time in water depends on the type of herb. The harder the part of the plant, the longer the steeping time should be. For the plant’s flowers, 3 minutes is enough; the leaves and stems need 5 minutes, and the bark and wooden parts need at least 10 minutes. For the bark and wood parts, we usually advise preparing them as a decoction, described in the next section.
Example of plants prepared as infusions: chamomile, linden, mint, melissa, calendula, St John’s wort, lavender and thymus.
A decoction is a concentrated herbal liquid obtained by simmering or boiling plant materials (such as roots, bark, or seeds) in water, extracting their therapeutic properties through heat.
Prepare decoction by placing the plant parts in a pot, pouring cold water over them, and bringing the contents to a boil in a closed pot. Simmer the contents on the lowest heat for 10 to 20 minutes. Finally, strain the decoction. Store the decoction in a cool place or the fridge for up to 48 hours. You can use fresh and dried plant parts, which must be cut or broken into smaller pieces before preparation.
This preparation method is suitable for harder parts of the plant, such as wood, roots, or bark, which are more difficult for water to penetrate, or plants containing medicinal substances resistant to high temperatures – tannin, bitter substances, and minerals. This method breaks down cell walls, releasing active substances into the water. However, the decoction method is certainly not suitable for plants rich in essential oils, as these would evaporate after prolonged cooking.
Examples of plants or parts of plants prepared as a decoction: seeds of milk thistle, fruits (e.g. horse chestnut), bark (e.g. oak, white willow), roots of valerian or dandelion.
A maceration is extracting the active principles from a medicinal plant by leaving the plant material in a liquid (such as water, oil, or alcohol) for an extended period, typically 6 hours to several weeks. We commonly soak the medicinal herbs in cold water and leave them covered at room temperature for several hours (usually 6-12) before straining the mixture. The macerate can be consumed cold, but it can also be heated to a drinking temperature.
Maceration is used when we make teas from plants that contain a lot of mucilage or volatile essential oils, which are sensitive to high temperatures, or in case we do not want to extract the undesirable active substances contained in the medicinal plant (for example, if we do not want to extract too many essential oils).
Examples of plants or parts of plants prepared with maceration: marsh mallow, flax seeds, Iceland lichen
Ana and Primož created this website for you. We love to start the day with a full cup of herbal tea, remembering a warm summer day and the way to that hill where you could smell motherwort from afar. We enjoy combining the joy of hiking, foraging, and coming home tired with a full canvas bag of herbs. The more we learn about medicinal plants, the more excited we are about their usefulness and the more we care about preserving nature and its resources.
