How Do You Make Your Own Herbal Tea Blend? Ratios That Work

Blending loose leaf is mostly arithmetic and tasting. You pick a base that makes up most of the volume, one or two accents that give the blend its character, and a small top note for aroma. Then you write the ratio down so you can make it again. That last part is the one people skip, and it is why their good blend never happens twice.

What you need

• A digital pocket scale. Blend by weight, never by volume. Dried flowers and cut leaf have wildly different densities, so a tablespoon of one is not a tablespoon of another.
• Fill-your-own tea filter bags, 4 by 6 inch drawstring, for portioning finished blends.
• A wide mixing bowl and a large spoon.
• Airtight jars or resealable stand-up bags for storage.
• A notebook. Seriously.

The three-part structure

We build to 100 grams so the percentages read straight off the scale.

• Base, 50 to 70 g. Mild, bulky, neutral. Its job is volume and body. Something like dried kava leaf or a plain cut leaf works. A base that tastes like a lot on its own will dominate.
• Accent, 20 to 40 g. This is the plant the blend is actually about. Organic damiana leaf and wild dagga flowers are both common accents. Use one, or two at most.
• Top note, 2 to 10 g. Aroma and a lift on the finish. Think mint, citrus peel, rose, a little ginger. Small amounts. Top notes go loud fast.

A reliable starting point is 60 g base, 32 g accent, 8 g top note. Write it as 60/32/8 and adjust from there.

Grind size

Match the cut sizes in a blend or the pieces separate in the jar and every scoop is different. If your base is a coarse cut and your accent is nearly powder, the powder migrates to the bottom within a week. Either buy comparable cuts or run the coarser material through a few pulses in a grinder until the pieces are roughly the same size. Aim for pieces around 2 to 4 mm across for tea. Finer than that and it escapes through a filter bag and clouds the cup.

Mixing

1. Weigh each component into its own small pile on a sheet of parchment so you can see the proportions before they disappear into each other.
2. Put the base in the bowl first, then the accent, then the top note.
3. Fold with a spoon from the bottom up, 20 to 30 turns. Do not stir in circles, which spins the fines out to the edge.
4. Tip the bowl and look at a cross section. If you can see stripes, keep folding.

Portioning and steeping

We portion at 3 grams per 8 ounce cup into a 4 by 6 filter bag, which leaves plenty of room for the leaf to open. Pull the drawstring but do not pack it tight.

• Delicate flowers: 200 F water, 5 to 7 minutes, lid on.
• Cut leaf: 205 to 212 F, 8 to 10 minutes, lid on.
• Cold brew: 3 g per 8 oz cold water, refrigerated 8 to 12 hours, then strain.

Keep the lid on while it steeps. Most of what you smell coming off an open cup is aroma leaving the water.

Tasting and adjusting

Brew a single cup before you mix a full batch. Make a 10 gram test blend at your intended ratio, steep 3 g of it, and taste. Thin and watery means more accent. Harsh or bitter means less accent or a shorter steep. Smells great and tastes like nothing means you overdid the top note and underdid the accent. Change one number at a time and note what you changed.

Storage

Airtight, dark, cool and dry. Light fades flower color in weeks and takes aroma with it. Label every jar with the ratio and the date you mixed it. A blend that sits six months is not spoiled, but it will be quieter than it was.

Cautions

• If your blend includes kava leaf: do not combine kava with alcohol, do not use it if you are pregnant or nursing, and note that kava has been associated with reports of liver injury. Do not use it if you have liver problems or take medication affecting the liver, and speak with a physician if you are unsure.
• If your blend includes kanna: kanna should not be combined with SSRI, SNRI or MAOI medications. Speak with a physician first.
• Know every plant in your jar. Blending is not the place to use something you cannot identify.
• For adults 21 and over.

Disclaimer. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Traditional use of a botanical does not establish that it will produce any particular result. Keep out of reach of children.