...Making tea starts with a 2-1/2 quart teapot using 3 quart pickling jars. I put dry herbs and often some fresh herbs in the jars and a matching set of dry herbs for a 2nd batch I store for later (not shown). I'm dipping into all those bags of herbs, so why not double up? If no leftovers, use half the herbs in the 3rd jar as you do in the first 2 (see leftover jar).
...I like to use the whole teapot, turning it off just before it comes to a full boil... little bubbles are bursting well, but not losing too much oxygen from the purified distilled water I buy.
...I use various tonics, brain herbs, medicinals, herbs and flowers for flavor, and I still use caffeine but no black tea with the acids so hurtful to your liver.
...Use the buttons below to link to more info. With herbs distributed and containers closed and out of the way, I fill the first two quarts up to 1/4" of the rim. The third quart gets whatever hot water is leftover.
...The "leftover" jar is partially filled with tea leaves from previous batches I've stored immersed and in the frig. I take some time to squeeze out the good-tasting liquid after draining most of it with my plastic strainer. The less cold water remaining, the better it will steep, and I usually add some fresh herbs from the garden like lemon grass, mint, comfrey or feverfew.
...If the leftover jar is almost full of tea leaves, I put them in a bowl* and just use the remains of the most recent batch in the 3rd jar.
*Later, I'll lightly squeeze the old tea leaves for an addition to my drink while waiting for the new tea to steep. Then I add good water to the old stuff one more time if it still has potency and flavor, and I've kept the reconstituted plant parts emersed in filtered water and covered in the frig each time so there's little air space to encourage things to grow. In another 24 hours or so, I'll squeeze all the tea out I can get and put the tea leaves in the compost or use it to mulch a plant.
tonic herb button 
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