Steeping in Style! Unique Ways to Brew Tea and herbs!

Learn to steep tea in style! Tea is an art and there are many ways to create the perfect cup. In this post, we will explore unique ways to brew tea and tisanes. 

A cup of tea has these key components: water, tea leaves (and/or herbs) and a vessel. This can be expanded upon depending on your desired cup of tea (milk/mylk, honey/maple syrup/sweeteners, spices, etc). When gathering your materials you can envision the tea you want to create and make it happen just like magic!

Speaking of magic one of my favorite ways to brew tea is to make a “Lunar Tea”. This type of tea brews using the moonlight. To make lunar tea place herbs in open container filled with water and position directly in the path of the moonlight. This is a great way to brew tea/herbs whenever a little extra magic is needed. Note: this method is not ideal for traditional teas like- black, pu-erh, oolong or green as these types of tea brew better with heated water for a certain amount of time. 

In addition to lunar tea one can also make “Solar Tea”. This method is a slow infusion that uses the heat and power from the sun to brew the tea. To make a solar tea place herbs and/or tea bags in quart mason jar (or whatever vessel you choose) and cover with cold water. Set jar out in sun for several hours. Strain and drink or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Solar teas will never be boiling hot. They are more of an iced tea. 

Have a garden? Make a fresh herb/flower tisane! A tisane is an herbal beverage or an herbal “tea”. Since tea technically refers to the plant Camellia sinensis, tisane is the proper way to refer to herbs brewed like a tea. Herbs that work really well freshly brewed are lavender, tulsi, lemon balm, mint, ect. The taste of garden fresh herb tisane is exhilarating. There is an extreme sense of satisfaction that can be added to the delight when one grows the herb themselves. 

Here is a little trick I learned. It’s called the *ice cube trick*. The idea is to freeze freshly brewed herbal tisanes into ice cubes and then pop it into boiling water for a “fresh” brewed tea! This method of preserving fresh herbs is a way to keep the flavors of the season going all year long! You can also create “medicinal ice cubes” from strong infusions or decoctions.  Of course, you can also dry the plant material and brew the dried herbs. 

Hope you enjoyed this little jaunt down the road of tea creation. I am huge tea drinker and will share more tea posts in this week. Spreading joy and the bliss of tea! With Love, Cassiopeia