How to Make Mullein Tea (The Right Way, Without the Leaf Hairs)

Mullein tea is one of the easiest herbal teas to make, with one catch that trips almost everyone up the first time: the leaf hairs. Get the straining right and you have a soft, soothing cup. Skip it and you spend the next ten minutes clearing your throat. Here is how to do it properly.

New to the herb entirely? Our full guide to mullein tea covers what it is and what it's good for. This is the hands-on version.

What you need

• 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried mullein leaf (or a small handful of fresh leaf), or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried flowers for a milder, sweeter cup
• A cup of fresh water, just off the boil
• A fine mesh strainer, plus a coffee filter, paper tea bag, or square of clean muslin for the second strain
• Optional: honey, lemon, ginger, or a few mint leaves

How to make mullein tea, step by step

1. Heat the water. Bring fresh water to a boil, then let it settle for a few seconds. You do not need to fuss over temperature, as just-boiled is fine for leaf and flower.
2. Add the mullein. Put your dried leaf or flower into a cup, teapot, or infuser. If you are using fresh leaf, tear it up first to open up the surface.
3. Pour and cover. Pour the hot water over the herb and put a lid or saucer on top. Covering it keeps the volatile aromatics in the cup instead of drifting off as steam.
4. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. This is longer than you are used to. Mullein gives up its soothing mucilage slowly, so be patient, because a rushed steep is a weak one. Flowers can come out a touch sooner, around 10 minutes.
5. Strain once. Pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer to catch the leaf and flower.
6. Strain again. This is the important one. Pass the tea a second time through a coffee filter, an empty paper tea bag, or a square of muslin. This catches the microscopic leaf hairs that the mesh lets through. Do not skip it.
7. Finish to taste. Sip it warm. A spoon of honey rounds off the grassy edge and adds its own throat-soothing effect; lemon, ginger, or mint all suit it.

How much to drink

For most healthy adults, one to three cups a day for a short stretch, say while you are getting over a cough, is the usual approach, rather than as a forever-daily drink. Start with a single cup and see how you feel. There is more detail, including who should be cautious, in mullein tea side effects.

Make it stronger or gentler

• For a sore throat or cough: steep the full 15 minutes for maximum mucilage, and add honey.
• For an easy evening cup: go a little lighter on the leaf and blend with a pinch of dried mint or chamomile.
• For a smoother brew: flower tea is naturally gentler and sweeter than leaf, worth trying if leaf tea feels too grassy.

Using your own homegrown leaf

If you grow and dry your own mullein, you control the whole cup, and it is wonderfully easy to do. Our guide to how to harvest mullein walks through picking the best leaves and flowers and drying them so they crackle, ready for the teapot all winter.