Sparkling Clean Equipage
Before making your tea, check to be sure your teapot and
utensils are clean. While this seems obvious, kettles,
teapots, cups, strainers and other tea accessories need
to be gently washed on a regular basis with soap or
baking soda (even if they are just used for boiling
water or brewing tea). This helps to remove mineral
deposits and old residue that can taint the flavor of
your freshly made brew.
Start with Cold, Good-Tasting
Water
Since tea is comprised of 99% water, the type of water
you use will affect the clarity and taste of your
beverage. So if your water tastes good then your tea
will taste good.
The best type of water to use when brewing tea is
filtered or bottled water (not distilled water) that is
free of chemicals and chlorine. If that isn’t available
and you are using tap water, run your faucet for around
ten seconds and until the tap water is cold before
filling your tea kettle.
Water and Steeping
For each cup of tea you prepare, you will want to heat 6
ounces of water. So if you are making a pot of tea, be
sure you have pre-measured the amount of water the pot
holds. The water temperature and length of steeping time
varies by the blend of tea you are brewing.
Here are some general tea brewing guidelines for water
temperature and steeping times. Adjust the heat and time
based on your individual preferences.
The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of
the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf
the longer the brewing time.
We suggest
you heat your tea pot or cup with hot water before
beginning the steeping process.
Black:
·
Water Temp: 195-210 F
·
Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
Oolong:
·
Water Temp: 185-200 F
·
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
Green:
·
Water Temp: 165-185 F
·
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
White:
· Water
Temp: 160-175 F
·
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
Herbal/Tisanes:
·
Water Temp: 205-210 F
·
Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes
Red/Rooibos:
·
Water Temp: 205-210 F
·
Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes
Amount of Tea
To maximize taste, it is preferable to brew tea leaves
in loose form rather than using a small tea ball or
infuser (yet these accessories are popular, convenient,
and yield tasty brews). This allows the leaves to fully
open and release all their flavor.
Use 1 teaspoon of whole leaf tea for each 6 ounce cup
you are brewing. This is the standard for compact
blends. If you are brewing tea that has a lot of volume,
consider using up to two tablespoons per serving.
If you want the convenience of using a tea bag or
sachet, simply use one for every cup of tea you are
making. The key to good tasting brew is to make sure
your tea bags are always fresh.
The tea in commercially produced bags is typically
comprised of small pieces of leaves or fannings that are
susceptible to becoming stale faster than the
well-stored loose leaf variety.
Serving
When your tea is done steeping, immediately remove
the loose tea from the strainer or the tea bag and
lightly stir. Then serve while fresh and hot. If
your tea gets too cool, it is best to enjoy it over
ice verses re-heating the brew.
Depending on your preference, you can enjoy drinking
your beverage plain or with a bit of milk, lemon, honey
or sugar. In Asia , people
typically drink tea without accompaniments.
In England , a small amount of
milk is often added for extra body and smoothness. In
Russia , brewing tea and adding lemon is common.
Raspberry jam is sometimes added for sweetness.
Yet, brewing tea is all about the experience and how you
take your tea is a matter of individual taste and
enjoyment. Experiment until you find a combination that
suits your palette “to a tea.” Enjoy the
EXPERIENCE!