Let this post serve to simplify your loose herbal tea experience with And Manna Foods…

Some of you may be here because you saw the link on one of my business cards or because you bought one of my teas at a local store. If so, thank you for purchasing my tea blends and welcome to the sporadic corner of my mind that is this blog! LOL. This is going to be my landing page for my business until I get a better website concocted.

For those of you that just followed my blog and are now confused about a random tea instructional, surprise! I guess. I founded my own small business during the pandemic where I blend my own herbal teas among many other delectable health conscious treats and foods. Check out my instagram if you want to know more!
https://www.instagram.com/and.manna.foods/

On to the tea!

If you’ve ever gotten curious about any proper tea preparations, you might’ve felt a little amnesiac like myself, trying to remember the different temperatures of water you’re supposed to use for the various green, white, and black teas out there. And don’t forget their individual steep times. And those details may change in the case of a pu’erh vs. an oolong. Don’t get them all twisted by disrespecting, now. 

Yeah. I usually don’t bother with all the nitty gritty details. 

Luckily my blends don’t deal with the majority of traditional caffeinated teas, and I give you full permission to bend the rules as you please. I offer what are technically “herbal extractions,” which are basically putting the herbs in hot water, then removing them after a little while. Making my teas can be boiled down to as simple of a process as that if you want. 

If you want to get super herb specific with your preparations, I recommend going to the post specific to the tea you are making. Otherwise, here is my middle-of-the-road, 

“Don’t Freak Out, It’s Just Tea” Method:

Step 1: Pour as much water as you want of tea into a pot on the stove. Ideally, use a pot that has a lid. But if not, you can grab a plate as a makeshift lid. 

Step 2: Bring the water to a boil, then turn it down 1)to medium heat for blends that have woodier, chunkier herb pieces in them (like valerian, kava, ginger, chaga, etc) and simmer for 2-5 minutes, or whatever you have the patience for. 

2) or turn the heat down to low and simmer for less than a minute for lighter greener/more floral blends (such as the Cramp RX or Body in Balance). 

Steep 3: Steeping is optional! But if you want to do it, let that tea steep for anywhere from 2-10 minutes. 

Don’t let me tell you how to conduct your medicinal ritual, and feel free to improvise on any part of this process. Or if it makes you nervous not having rules and guidelines, just go visit the blog specific to your tea if your inner perfectionist is screaming for a safe space. 🙂 

Pro tip for you over achievers: I don’t always steep my tea, but if I do, I let the condensation on the underside of the pot lid (or plate) drip and drain back into the larger body of water. There’s a bit of essential oils trying to get away via evaporation, and that’s how you wrangle back into your cup. 😉