Making tea is not difficult. However? Making the perfect cup of tea is not as easy as you might think. By just throwing the tea bag or tea infuser into boiling water, you are doing yourself and the tea short
To enjoy your cup of herbal tea even more, we have a few tips for you. So grab your mug or glass of tea and read on.
Let your tea steep for 15 minutes
When you see the number 15 you might think 'I haven't seen you'. Few people let their tea steep for 15 minutes. And when it happens, it's because someone forgot to take out the bag.
You are of course already doing a great job when you drink tea instead of soft drinks. So drinking 'quick' cups of tea is certainly not bad! But when it comes to herbal teas, you may also want to reap the health benefits. Herbal teas do need a little more time. Letting the tea steep for a minute (or less) is nowhere near enough.
Every tea has its own 'instructions for use' when it comes to the duration of the steeping. Most herbal teas are best left to stand for 15 minutes so that the antioxidant-rich polyphenols, the plant compounds that make herbal teas so healthy, can get into the water.
The above applies even more to tea bags compared to loose leaf tea. Tea in bags is often finely ground. The surface area exposed to oxygen is larger and therefore the taste becomes duller.
Because not only the health benefits, but also the taste comes into its own better. A good tea does not become bitter. The taste will only become fuller. The smell, on the other hand, decreases. The aromas of the tea will evaporate.
Keep an eye on the temperature of the water
Another important component of tea is, of course, water. For the perfect tea you have to take into account the temperature of the water. If you don't, the tea, even your favorite herbal tea, will taste bitter.
You brew green tea with water between 65 and 80 degrees. That is a lot later than other teas. For black tea, use water of around 90 degrees. For oolong tea and herbal tea, this can even be a bit warmer and up to 95 to 100 degrees. While you prefer to make white tea with water at 85 degrees.
It is therefore important that you sometimes let the water stand for a while after boiling. Boiling water has a temperature of 100 degrees. A good boiling water tap therefore also supplies water at 100 degrees. There are also faucets that provide slightly cooler water and faucets that you can adjust yourself. Nowadays there are also kettles where you can set the temperature yourself. Ideal!
So for herbal tea you use boiling water that you let boil off for a short time.
Choose loose tea
We have mentioned this tip before. Loose tea is generally better than bagged tea. The tea in a bag is pulverized. You can also see it as the residual product of loose tea. The advantage of loose tea is that you can easily use the tea several times. However, a tea bag quickly loses its taste. But you can safely make tea three times from loose tea.
Keep the tea in a cool place and in a sealed package that does not get sunlight through. Oxygen and light deteriorate the quality, smell and color.
Do you want to know more about this? Then read our article: Loose tea vs. tea bags .
Make your own tea
Did you know that you can also make your own tea? And that you can be sure that you have pure, healthy tea in your hands? You can dry flowers and herbs yourself in a dehydrator, oven or herb dryer. Read our article about making your own herbal tea for more tips.
10 healthy herbal teas
Now an unhealthy herbal tea does not actually exist. But for your convenience, we have listed ten for you:
- Chamomile tea: calming
- Peppermint tea: against digestive complaints
- Ginger tea: against nausea
- Echinacea tea: shortens colds
- Rooibos tea: good for the bones
- Sage tea: improves memory
- Lemon balm: against anxiety
- Rosehip tea: contains a lot of vitamin C
- Hibiscus tea: lowers blood pressure
- Passion flower tea: promotes sleep
