How To Make Mugwort Tea

If you want to experience lucid dreaming or get rid of stress or anxiety, mugwort tea is your answer. Soothing tea has been used for centuries because of its therapeutic effects. Want to know the recipe right away?

Mugwort tea is made by brewing dried or fresh mugwort leaves. You should brew the leaves in a kettle or a teapot and then strain the leaves to enjoy this magical potion.

However, some people find it hard to make the right mugwort tea blend for destressing. The secret to mugwort tea’s benefits depends primarily on how we make and consume it. So, it is imperative to learn the correct way of brewing common mugwort tea.

Keep your recipe journal ready as we take you through a spiritual and relaxing journey of making some of the best that nature has to offer!

Table of Contents

What Is Mugwort?

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is one of the most beneficial plants you can grow in your backyard. It is gray-green to yellowish with a soft cottony appearance. The perennial plant is native to Europe (especially northern Europe), Asia, and Africa. Moreover, it has a long history of being used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Mugwort tea is made from the leaves of this tall plant and is caffeine-free. You can use fresh or dried mugwort leaves to prepare the herbal medicine.

Its pungent taste, strong aroma, and ability to hold out against pests have made this herb a must-have kitchen ingredient. Mugwort tea is also known as calming or lucid dreaming tea because of its unique aroma and composition and for promoting sleep.

Mugwort tea is usually bitter as it contains essential oils, which give it an intense aroma and taste. However, despite the bitterness, this tea produces a relaxing and calming effect on the nerves.

How to Make Mugwort Tea at Home

The mugwort plant is used in cooking as a flavoring condiment. Besides this, it is popular for medicinal purposes. If you want to enjoy the benefits of this magical tea, you must first learn how to brew it.

Let’s start with the ingredients to make the perfect soothing mugwort tea blend.

What Ingredients Are Required to Make Mugwort Tea?

You need only three ingredients to make mugwort tea, i.e., mugwort, water, and some honey. However, you can add to the contents to improve the flavor. The following are some of the main ingredients, alongside optional taste-improving additions, for making caffeine-free mugwort tea:

Mugwort plant (Artemisia Vulgaris) 2 parts
Passionflower 1 part (optional)
Blue lotus flower petals 2 parts (optional)
Ginkgo leaf 1 part (optional)
Honey (according to taste)
Dried orange peel ½ part (optional)

You can combine all the dry ingredients and keep them in an airtight jar. Then use one teaspoon to make one cup of mugwort tea. Then again, you can always make a simple mugwort tea using mugwort, water, and honey.

However, adding passionflower helps soothe your nervous system, and ginkgo improves blood circulation. Plus, the orange peel adds a bit more flavor to the mugwort tea recipe.

Brewing in a Kettle

This method needs a greater proportion of water, as you have to keep boiling the loose-leaf tea in it for a few minutes. Follow these steps to brew mugwort tea in a kettle:

Take a kettle and add one teaspoon of dried herbs (mugwort and anything else you want to add) or plain dried and crushed mugwort herbs of 20g.
Now add water.
Turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
When the water is boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Take a strainer to separate the leaves and pour the tea into a cup.
Your delicious mugwort tea is ready!

Brewing in a Teapot

Brewing mugwort tea in a teapot is fairly easy. The method is similar to brewing tea in a kettle, but instead of boiling the herbs in water, we pour boiled water on the dried herb. Follow these steps:

Take a teapot and add dried mugwort tea leaves into it.
You can either put one teaspoon of the dried mugwort tea blend (which we prepared above) in the teapot. Or just put 20 grams of dried mugwort.
Pour one cup of boiling water into it.
Leave the dried leaves for 5 to 10 minutes.
Check if the color is as dark as you want.
Take a strainer and strain the tea into a cup to enjoy.

The Best Way to Consume Mugwort Tea

Mugwort tea has a deep brown color. Plus, the strainer will not be able to remove tiny tea particles from your drink. These are herb particles that add to the tea’s richness.

The tea tastes slightly bitter, but nothing a little bit of honey can’t fix. The honey makes the mugwort tea mildly sweet with a mellow flavor of anise. Some people also say that the tea flavor has a touch of oats and hay.

If you let the mugwort plant infuse in water for 5 minutes, the aroma will be mild with a sweet touch. On the other hand, if the leaves stay in water for 10 minutes, they will have a darker color with more floral notes and a stronger aroma.

You can drink mugwort tea 1–3 times a day. The best way to consume mugwort tea is before having a meal, as this is when the tea can be most effective. Also, don’t empty the whole cup in one go, as this may be a little unpleasant. Taking a few sips at a time will let you enjoy the tea better.

Moreover, you can add different spices, honey, and herbs to make the mugwort tea more palatable. For instance, we added dried orange peel and honey to improve the flavor and aroma of the tea.

We don’t recommend using whole fruit pieces, as this would change the taste and purpose of the mugwort tea. Instead, try adding rose petals or mint leaves to your tea.

How to Store Mugwort Tea

The mugwort plant (Artemisia vulgaris) should be stored properly so it doesn’t lose its taste and aroma. You can store mugwort tea or herbs in a cool, dark place by putting them in an airtight container.

These herbs can last up to six weeks if stored properly. However, you shouldn’t store them for over six weeks as they will lose taste.

If you keep mugwort tea in the fridge, don’t put it in a ceramic or glass container. Plus, make sure you’ve closed it tightly.

Benefits of Mugwort Tea

Mugwort tea can benefit people with stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, digestion issues, obesity, inflammation, respiratory infections, menstrual cycles, and weak immunity.

The herb has powerful nervine qualities that help deal with chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. The ingredients in the tea reduce stress on the nervous system and help improve your overall quality of life.

The mugwort plant is also known for easing digestion. It helps get rid of stomach cramps and bloating and improves the appetite. Besides that, it is also helpful in treating diarrhea and constipation.

One of the main benefits of mugwort tea is its relaxing and calming effect. The flavonoids in this compound soothe the nerves and bring most people into a state of peacefulness. This is why many people consume mugwort tea to promote vivid dreams.

One thing to note here is that there are very few modern medical trials on the benefits of this herb. A few studies indicate that the herb has antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, although more research is underway.

Are There Any Side Effects of Mugwort Tea?

Mugwort tea is a caffeine-free herbal infusion with a strong flavor. The pungent taste can leave your mouth feeling slightly burned.

The herb consists of an essential oil called thujone, which is strong and chemically related to henbane. Henbane is a narcotic drink and is highly toxic. But, mugwort is not toxic; it may help in treating a few health conditions. That’s why the herb is popular in traditional medicine.

However, we don’t recommend drinking mugwort tea daily for extended periods as it may harm the kidneys and liver. Mugwort tea is also not recommended for pregnant ladies as it is an abortifacient, meaning it can cause a miscarriage.

Wrap Up!

According to some people, mugwort can promote lucid dreams and prophetic dreams. Besides using mugwort to make tea, you can also use it in soups and desserts or for flavoring dishes. Some people also smoke mugwort to induce lucid dreaming.

Mugwort can be a great herbal medicine and dietary supplement if you know how to make it correctly. Though the taste is a bit of a turn-off, adding honey and a few spices can make it more palatable. We hope these culinary hacks will help you make the best mugwort tea.