Infusions, herbal teas and tea

There are many methods to prepare medicinal and aromatic plants. Infusions, herbal teas and tea, in most cases refer to the same way of extracting plants through their infusion in cold or hot water.

Infusion

To prepare an infusion, you submerge the plant or mixture of herbs or tea in hot water between 70 and 95 degrees. You leave it for the indicated time (3 to 5 minutes). It is ideal for extracting the properties of leaves, flowers, and some fruits. Calculate roughly one teaspoon per cup.

Cold infusion

Some medicinal properties of plants are lost with the heat of water. You can prepare a cold infusion using double the herbs and leaving it overnight submerged in cold water or at room temperature. It is also ideal for preparing and refreshing in warm climates.

Living infusion

Sometimes the properties we need from plants are in their sap. A living infusion is prepared from the sap and fresh parts of the plant. The plant is harvested at dusk, ideally during a full moon so there is a greater amount of sap in the leaves and branches. Leaves and branches are harvested depending on the plant. With stone on stone (it can be in a smooth mortar) it is crushed or macerated with love. Once the juices come out, they are placed in a bowl, the stones are rinsed with hot water over the plant and covered with boiling water. It is left to cool and then strained and water at room temperature is added. This infusion is taken over a maximum of 3 days.

Herbal teas is another name given commercially to Infusions. They are usually ready-to-infuse Botanical Blends, in many cases packaged in individual sachets.

Tea, as we have seen before, is the infusion of a plant called Camellia Sinensis that, after going through a specific transformation process, becomes white tea, green tea, black tea, oolong or dark teas or post-fermented teas. However, we commonly sometimes speak of mint tea or chamomile tea when it is an infusion or herbal tea of the plant.

Before any preparation keep in mind:

• Always prepare everything with filtered water.
• Use glass, porcelain, ceramic containers and stainless steel strainers.
• Work with plants you know where they come from and how they have been cultivated, choose organic and ecological agriculture processes
• If you are going to use fresh plants you need a greater quantity than dried ones.
• Dried plants have everything in greater concentration.
• Our choice is almost always to use the plants as whole as possible.

When we make preparations with aromatic or medicinal plants we communicate with them to release, extract, activate their virtues.

Remember to explore your relationship with plants from consciousness, love, and responsible work with the earth, always honoring your Body.