How to Decaffeinate Tea
First, you could drink herbal teas when you don’t want caffeine. Most herbal teas, with the big exception of Mate teas, don’t have caffeine since they aren’t made from Camellia sinensis. But you also lose some of the health benefits by not drinking a true tea, since herbal teas have differing health benefits than real teas.
Another option is to drink naturally decaffeinated teas. Teavana offers a handful of decaf teas. Be sure the teas you choose are decaffeinated through a natural CO2 process, if possible. There are three methods of decaffeinating teas: CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), Methylene Chloride, and Ethyl Acetate. The last two leave a residue on the leaves that makes them a problematic choice for tea. It’s important to note that decaffeinated teas still have a bit of caffeine. It’s impossible to remove all of the caffeine, but these teas have just a small amount compared to the regular tea.
But usually only a few teas are offered as decaffeinated options - and they are typically black teas. How can you lower the caffeine content of your teas? Do-it-yourself decaffeination might be your best choice and it’s easy to do. Caffeine is very water soluble:
To Decaffeinate your Tea: Steep your tea leaves at the temperature suggested for 20 seconds. Then drain the liqueur and resteep the leaves in fresh hot water for the recommended time. This first steeping removes the majority of the caffeine (it will still have a small amount).
I personally resteep at a slightly higher temperature for a shorter period of time, but you should try it a couple of ways to discover what works best with the specific tea you’re trying to decaffeinate. This is a great trick when you usually drink caffeinated teas, but really want a cup late at night. You can enjoy the tea while washing away the caffeine content!
I think you mean 20 seconds instead of minutes.