HOW TO PREPARE A PERFECT HERBAL TEA

Thanks to their flavor and beneficial properties, herbal teas are among the most consumed drinks.

These are infusions of fruit, spices, leaves and seeds macerated in cold or hot water: in addition to delighting the palate with their pleasant taste, these decoctions act as a natural remedy to cure numerous problems.

But how do you prepare a perfect herbal tea capable of correctly extracting all the organoleptic properties and aromas of the products used? Let’s find out together!

Ingredients

To prepare a perfect herbal tea you need first of all high quality ingredients .

In order to obtain a successful result, you need to buy loose herbal teas , which are usually sold in packs of 50, 100 or 250 grams.

In this way not only will you control the dosage, but you will also be able to add other products to your liking.

Accessories necessary to prepare a perfect herbal tea

Once the suitable ingredients have been purchased, the accessories used for the preparation of the herbal tea deserve equal importance, namely:

• filter or infuser : on the market it is possible to find them in metal, silicone or disposable filters;
• strainer : in the absence of a filter/infuser, a strainer can also be used, but be careful not to drop the herbal tea fragments into the water;
• herbal tea pot or cup : there are the classic tea cups, those with filter included or tea pots made of glass with warmer.

The latter is an accessory aimed at keeping the drink warm.

How to prepare herbal tea with hot water

To prepare herbal tea with hot extraction, proceed as follows:

• fill the filter with the desired mixture;
• insert the filter inside the infusion pot or chosen cup;
• boil water in a tea kettle;
• pour the boiling water into the container containing the filter;
• cover everything with a lid or a cloth and wait about ten minutes;
• remove the filter, let it cool slightly and consume the drink.

How to best preserve a hot-extracted herbal tea

It is very important to remember that hot-extracted herbal teas must be consumed immediately after extraction , as, with cooling, an oxidation process is triggered which will lead to the loss of most of the organoleptic properties and aromas.

So try to avoid cooling these decoctions and then heating them again.

One of the best ways to best preserve a hot-extracted herbal tea is undoubtedly the thermos .

This container, if used correctly, has the ability to keep the contents warm for over eight hours.

If you don’t have a thermos, a teapot with a warmer will do just fine.

How to prepare a cold herbal tea

When the summer arrives, nobody forbids you to enjoy a fresh herbal tea, also because, in addition to the inebriating scent, it has better thirst- quenching and healthier properties than other sugary drinks of industrial origin.

To prepare a cold-extracted herbal tea, you must use the Cold Brew method, which involves the following steps:

• fill the filter with the chosen herbal tea;
• fill a pitcher with cold or room temperature water;
• insert the filter into the jug and cover everything with a cloth or a lid;
• leave to rest in the refrigerator for three to six hours;
• remove the filter and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The herbal tea can be kept in the fridge for up to seven days and will keep all its beneficial and taste properties of the ingredients used intact.

Loose herbal teas and in capsules

On the market you can find numerous herbal tea alternatives, in many different flavors.

In addition to the aforementioned loose herbal teas, a valid alternative is the versions sold in capsules , such as those produced by DolceVita .

These are herbal teas that can be prepared with all the main coffee machine systems, simply, quickly and without sacrificing the taste of selected ingredients:

• Nespresso® compatible herbal tea capsules
• Dolce Gusto® compatible herbal tea capsules
• Espresso Point® compatible herbal tea capsules
• Uno System® compatible herbal tea capsules

The capsules, in addition to preserving the fragrance of the ingredients, also ensure maximum hygiene and minimize the possibility of making mistakes, as they are already pre-dosed.