Is there a perfect way to make a cup of herbal tea? You bet.

At The Naked Botanical, we teach all our customers how to rub, pour, and wait.

So let's go through all of these steps:

Let's start the magic!

The Aladdin Genie Rub

When we started The Naked Botanical, our first product was loose leaf herbal tea. It is still our first love, and we think loose leaf makes a better tea.

However, we did introduce tea bags since everyone had different preferences, and we want everyone to be happy. You know happiness is a core theme at The Naked Botanical.

Let's start at the beginning. Grab one of your favorite teas from us. Add a nice size teaspoon to our reusable bag or your diffuser or grab one of your tea bags.

Simply rub the tea or the bag.

Why do We Rub?

Some herbs have volatile oils, and by rubbing them, you are releasing the oils. All of our teas have mint in them to add taste, so we don't need to add artificial or natural flavors to our brews.

By rubbing the leaves, you are releasing all those rich oils. If you have a tea diffuser or tea ball, just lightly rub the leaves in the container.

If you are using our tea bags, gently rub the bag.

If you want to go one more extra measure, then make a wish--especially if you are making tea for your children. They will get a kick out of making a wish. Just tell them it is magical tea. (But you already know this.)

Big people can make wishes too.

We can't promise it will come true, but we do believe in intent.

Add Boiling Hot Water.

We are talking about whistle-blowing kettle type water. I used to use my hot water dispenser and found the herbs didn't taste as good. I couldn't figure out why until I took the temperature of the water with my cooking thermometer. The temperature barely registered 200 degrees. Herbal tea should be brewed at 212 degrees.

Believe me. You can taste the difference.

If you want to use your hot water dispenser, you might need to add a little more product to your cup to get the same flavor of the tea that I get when I use boiling hot water.

Oh the Brew Time

We ask you to brew the leaves for at least 10 minutes. Add a plate or bowl to the top to retain the steam. The leaves are cut to loose leaf size even in the tea bags.

The larger the leaf, the longer the steep.

Pretty darn catchy phrase, don't you think?

You will notice on most herbal tea bags, a shorter steep. This may be due to the size of the leaf in the bag. If the leaf has more surface area (ie, it is bigger) then it will take longer from the hot water to create the perfect cup of tea.

However, if you brew the tea for longer than 10 minutes, the tea won't get bitter. It will just get colder. 

I tend to drink all of my teas at room temperature because I forget that I actually make tea. Or I am pulled in 110 different directions during the day. (Does this sound like your day?)

Use Again...

Brew the herbs another time. It will not taste as strong but still quite tasty. When I sell at the craft fairs, I tell people to make 2 cups at one time.

10 minute steep and then another 10 minutes steep. Put one cup in the refrigerator and drink it later.

Or give that one to a loved one or friend. Drinking tea with friends and loved ones always taste better.

Lastly, Throw the Herbs in Your Food

When you are done using the herbs for tea, throw them into your food or smoothie. Why not enjoy them another time?

They are just herbs, and still will have a little taste. There are no artificial or natural flavors.

If you are using the reusable bag, let the herbs dry first. Taking wet herbs out of the bag is not fun. (Done that.)

If you are using a diffuser, then simply add the moist herbs to your food.

Tea bag lovers, rip open the bag and throw the herbs into your food.

Composting

You can compost the herbs if you don't want to throw them into your food. However, the pyramid bags are biodegradable and can not be composted in your backyard composter. They can be composted in a commercial facility.

Just rip open the bag and dump the herbs.

Oh, Before I Forget

Take some time for yourself and enjoy the best tasting cup of herbal tea! But remember the best tasting tea starts with the best tasting leaves. We are picky so great tasting teas is our core mission. Grab some at our store.

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters." Audrey Hepburn