Frequently Asked Questions About Herbal & Fruit Teabags
Most herbal tea bags can be steeped for 5–7 minutes, although the ideal time depends on the herbs, flowers, fruits, and spices in the blend. Unlike delicate green tea, many herbal infusions can handle a longer steep. If you want a stronger cup, let the bag steep for a little longer and adjust it to your taste.
Store herbal tea bags in a cool, dry, dark place away from moisture, heat, sunlight, and strong odors. Keep them in their original sealed packaging or transfer them to an airtight container. This helps protect the herbs, fruits, and botanicals from losing their aroma and flavor.
Regular tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant and includes varieties such as black, green, white, and oolong tea. Herbal tea, technically called a tisane, is made from herbs, flowers, fruits, spices, or other botanicals instead. Most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free because they do not contain traditional tea leaves.
Neither is automatically better; it depends on what you value. Loose leaf tea generally gives the leaves more room to expand, while teabags offer convenience and consistent portions. Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's whole leaf pyramid teabags are designed to combine the convenience of a tea bag with enough space for larger leaves and botanicals to unfurl during brewing.
There is no single number that applies to every herbal tea because different blends contain different ingredients. For everyday enjoyment, follow the brewing and serving recommendations for the specific blend and pay attention to how you feel. If a herbal tea contains ingredients with specific usage considerations, check the product information before drinking several cups daily.
Fruit tea provides a flavorful way to enjoy an infusion made with fruits, berries, flowers, and other botanicals. Many fruit tisanes are naturally caffeine-free and can be enjoyed hot or cold. While they can be a refreshing alternative to sugary beverages, fruit tea should not be viewed as a treatment or a substitute for a balanced diet.
Start with fresh water and use the brewing temperature and steeping time recommended for your particular fruit blend. As a general starting point, steep a fruit tisane for around 5–7 minutes to allow the fruit, flowers, and botanicals to release their flavor. You can enjoy it hot or chill it and serve it over ice for a refreshing iced fruit tea.
The terms often overlap, but the main difference is the ingredients emphasized in the blend. Herbal tea, or tisane, can contain herbs, flowers, spices, roots, and other botanicals, while fruit tea typically features dried fruits, berries, and fruit-based ingredients. Both are generally caffeine-free when they don't contain Camellia sinensis tea leaves, and both can be enjoyed hot or cold.