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Although herbal infusions can be enjoyed by just about anyone, they are a special treat for gardeners since we can grow uncommon and hard-to-find herbs right in our own space. They can be a lovely, simple way to use your fresh garden herbs as well as the herbs you dried for later.
In this article, we will cover how to make a cold infusion (Steps 1-4) as well as some infusion storage tips.
The steps below describe the preferred method of preparation, which uses loose herbs and a mini-strainer. Like hot infusions, cold infusions can also be prepared using teabags. But teabags do not allow as much of the herbs' surface area to be exposed to the water, and they are less convenient for fresh herbs. But you can use commercial teabags or make your own teabags if you really don't want to strain the herbs.
For information about infusions such as what they are and what other terms are used to describe them, check out the What is an Infusion? heading in the How to Make a Hot Infusion article here.
This article focuses on an herbal preparation. See the Using Herbs article for more information about using herbs. And see the Herbal Preparations Overview and the other articles in the Read More section at the bottom of the article for other ideas for ways to preserve your herb harvest.
Let's get right into making cold infusions!
How to Make a Cold Infusion
A cold infusion can be made with water that is actually cold, or it can be made with cool or room-temperature water. The key is that it is not made with hot or boiling water like a hot infusion.
Cold infusions are the preferred method of preparation for mucilage-containing herbs like marshmallow and plantain since mucilage is water-soluble but destroyed by heat.
They are also a great fit for herbs like chamomile that become bitter after more than a few minutes in hot water. Cold, cool, and room-temperature water can bring out a sweeter, fruitier flavor in chamomile than hot water does.
Many of the steps are similar to those of preparing a hot infusion with the exception of the water temperature and steeping time.
Ready to prepare a cold infusion? Let's get started!
Step 1: Prepare the Herbs
Place the herbs in the vessel where they will be steeping such as a mason jar.
You can mash or crumble the herbs as you add them to the steeping vessel to break down the herbs' cell walls and to increase surface area exposed to the water, both of which result in herbal properties infusing into the water more quickly, efficiently, and abundantly.
If you are using the herbs for a specific purpose such as for their nervine or anti-inflammatory properties, use these proportions:
- 1 tablespoon of dried herbs per 8 ounces of water
- 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water
On the other hand, if you are just interested in a flavorful tea to sip without concern for the herbal properties, use these proportions:
- 1 teaspoon of dried herbs per 8 ounces of water
- 2-3 teaspoons of fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water
Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs since their water content has been removed. This is why there is a difference in the suggested ratios.
Step 2: Pour and Cover
The next step is to immerse the herbs in cold, cool, or room-temperature water to start the steeping process. The water should fully cover the herbs. If using lightweight herbs that keep sitting on top of the water, you may need to stir the mixture with a spoon before covering it.
After pouring the water, cover the steeping vessel with a lid or cloth. For a cold infusion, we are not as concerned about losing herbal properties through steam, but covering prevents bacteria and other microorganisms from invading your cold infusion as it steeps for a longer time.
Step 3: Infuse
This next step is called by different terms – steep, infuse, macerate – but all of these terms mean to let the herb(s) sit in the water for a number of hours so that their properties and flavors can permeate the water that they are sitting in.
Cold infusions have a much longer steeping time than hot infusions. Let your cold infusion steep for 5-12 hours.
Cold infusions can steep on the counter at room temperature or in the refrigerator at a cooler temperature.
Step 4: Strain and Enjoy
The final step is to strain the herbs. Place the vessel you will be drinking out of or serving from on the counter. I usually use a second mason jar.
Place a fine-mesh strainer on top of the drinking vessel. I use this mini-strainer. If possible, the strainer should cover the entire opening of the drinking vessel so that no herbs sneak into the strained infusion.
Uncover the steeping vessel and pour the herbs and infusion through the strainer into the drinking vessel.
After straining, press down on the herbs in the strainer to extract the last, most concentrated bit of liquid from the herbs.
Then dispose of the herbs and rinse out the steeping vessel. Herbs used in cold infusions usually do not work well for second batches or beyond because they have already steeped for so long.
Finally, enjoy! You just made a cold infusion.
Infusion Storage Tips
Just like hot infusions, cold infusions should be consumed within 24 hours of straining for optimal quality. If you will not be drinking your infusion within the first couple hours after straining, refrigerate it until you are ready to consume it.
Infusions and decoctions can also be poured into ice cube trays and frozen for longer-term storage. You can then take 1-2 ice cubes out at a time and defrost them in a mug or add them to a smoothie or other beverage for an herbal boost. This is a great time-saver that works especially well for large batches.
Read More
Some herbs used for infusions have other uses in herbal and culinary preparations. Read more in the simple uses articles for some common tea herbs:
And check out these related articles: