They are a very simple bit of equipment the herbal tea infuser, but, they can simultaneously improve your herbal tea experience and reduce the impact of that experience on the environment. And here’s how…
For the uninitiated I’ll start by explaining what this miraculous bit of kit is. A herbal tea infuser is basically any permeable receptacle which can hold loose leaf herbal tea whilst it is brewing (or infusing) in the pot or cup. It’s holes, or mesh, must be large enough to allow the free flow of infused tea but small enough to contain the leaves, stems, roots, flowers or whatever part of the plant you are infusing. There are a few different types of herbal tea infuser ranging from infuser spoons (or handled infusers) to infuser balls. They are all totally genius both from a tea quality and environmental perspective. Here at Indigo Herbs we now stock a low cost
tea infuser ball big enough for even the most generous brewer to make the perfect cuppa…
The Herbal Tea Infusion Experience
Drinking a delicious hot herbal tea infusion, made with just the right herbs, can change your reality. However many are disappointed with herbal tea from teabags and for good reason. The major reason for this is dosage. The average tea bag contains only 1.5 grams of herb which is roughly half a teaspoon. However for most herbs, a therapeutic dose requires an infusion made with 1 – 4 teaspoons of the herb. Secondly herbal tea bags can be restrictive when it comes to blending. Loose leaf herbal teas allow you to make an intuitive blend specific to your needs in the moment. And finally there is the pollution factor. Practically every single tea bag is glued together. Most use bleached paper. Many also have a staple in them. So the potential for contaminants is obvious but easy to avoid … get yourself an infuser and brew loose leaf herbal tea.
Eco-Warrior
And it’s not just the drinker who benefits from using an infuser. The unnecessary paper, glue, string, and sometimes staples and ink that accompanies the herbs in a tea bag are always discarded. At best into the compost, but even then they aren’t exactly adding nutrients to your vegetable plot. But not only are teabags obviously wasteful on the face of it. Research has revealed that drinking tea made with a tea bag has a carbon footprint 10 times bigger than the equivalent loose leaf tea. Wow. Or in other words, get yourself an infuser and drink ten cups of tea for the environmental cost of one. What a bargain.
A fantastic range of
loose leaf herbal teas ( blended teas and single varieties ) are available from
indigo-herbs.co.uk
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What a great resource!