Tips For Making Tea

There's something comforting about brewing tea and taking the time to savor it. Here are some tips to make the most of the experience — and end up with the best tasting tea.

BREWING THE PERFECT CUP

Make sure your tea has been properly stored. The best way to store tea is in an airtight container, at a constant temperature, away from light, moisture, and other odors. Once exposed to air, tea leaves quickly lose flavor. Keep bulk teas in a large container, and use a smaller one for daily tea use, so you don’t have to keep opening the large container.
Use fresh, cool, oxygenated water. Never use tepid, long-standing, pre-heated or hot tap water.
Heat the water and pour it directly over the leaves. Use about one teaspoon of tea per cup for true teas and a little more than that for herbs.
Water temperature and steep time guidelines:
- Green and White Teas: Steep in lightly simmering water (where bubbles just begin to form, or 170°F) for 3-4 minutes.
- Black and Oolong Teas: Steep in gentle boiling water (about 185°F) for 4-5 minutes.
You may steep the tea in an infuser, just don't overpack the infuser so the leaves have enough room to unfurl completely. Or simply steep the loose leaves and then pour the brewed tea through a strainer into a serving cup.

Perfect tea is brewed one cup at a time. Personal tastes, vary, of course -- you'll want to adjust the measurements and brewing times according to your own preferences.

TIPS FOR PREPARING HERBAL TEAS

Herbal teas can be prepared as a hot infusion, cold infusion or decoction, using about 1 tsp. of herb per cup of water. For single cups, tea infusers are a great option, and for larger batches a French press, large glass jar, or teapot work wonderfully. Decoctions will require the use of a small pot or saucepan.
Delicate parts of plants (leaves and flowers) should be prepared as a hot infusion or cold infusion. For a hot infusion, pour 1 cup of boiled water over 1 tsp. of herb and let steep (covered) for 10-15 minutes. For a cold infusion, pour 1 cup of cold water over 1 tsp. of herb and let steep 6-8 hours.
Tougher parts of plants like roots, barks and berries should be prepared as a decoction (with a few exceptions, like valerian, which is best as an infusion). To make a decoction, place 1 tsp. of herb in a small saucepan with 1½-2 cups of water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-30 minutes.

The tips above are general guidelines, if the packaging provides other instructions, like a different length of steep/decoct time, we recommend following the directions on the package.

BREWING CHAI TEA

It’s traditional to brew chai in milk so the flavors of the spices are extracted into and held in the milk. However, this practice is starting to change. As more people prefer to sweeten and add milk or cream to their beverages after brewing, many are now brewing chai in water. See directions below for whichever brewing method you prefer.

1. Start by bringing 1 cup of a mixture of half water and half milk to a boil. If you prefer, use 1 full cup of water.
2. Stir in the chai (1 to 1½ teaspoons of powdered, 2 to 3 teaspoons of the tea blends), remove from heat and steep for 2 minutes.
3. Pour through strainer into your cup and, if desired, add sweetener and/or milk to taste.

Personal taste varies, so feel free to increase the tea measure and brew time for a stronger, spicier cup of chai.