How To Make Tea
Posted on February 12th, 2009 by Elaine
Loading ...
Who wouldn’t enjoy a cup of steaming, hot tea? It’s calming, it tastes good and it has numerous health benefits. Tea protects against cancer, gives positive effects for bladder ailments, cholesterol diabetes, liver ailments and even weight loss. Drinking a cup of tea a day can drastically improve a person’s overall health.
Making delicious tea requires proper procedure. If not, you’ll end up with a tasteless or unpleasantly bitter brew that you’ll find difficult to stomach. If you want to make tea that you can savor, here’s how.
What You’ll Need
- Tea (loose leaves or powdered)
- Water
- Tea ball or tea strainer
- Bowl
- Non-reactive tea kettle (for boiling the water)
- Porcelain or ceramic tea pot
- Sugar, creamer, lemon and honey
- Tea cozy
Procedure
- Put some water into a non-reactive tea kettle, and let it boil. Not many know it, but the type of water you use affects the tea you make. The most advisable is bottled or filtered water, not distilled. You can also use tap water, but before using it for tea, allow it to run for 10 seconds first. If you don’t want to waste water, let it run into a basin, and use for watering plants or rinsing dishes later.
- Pre-heat your vessel. Doing this prevents the steeping water from dropping in temperature when it’s poured in. Place a small amount of boiling water in a porcelain or ceramic tea pot, or in tea cups, if you’re using them to steep the tea. Cover with pot with its lid, allow to stand until it’s warm, then pour out the water.
- Put the tea in a strainer or infuser, or even directly in the tea pot’s bottom, as steeping without stainer or infuser lets the tea unfold and give out additional flavor. Put one heaped teaspoon for every cup of tea you’re making. You should also refer to the tea’s brewing instructions. If you’re using loose tea, remember that the amount you use depends on the strength and type, as well as your individual taste. If you opt for tea bags, use one cup for every bag. Make sure the bags are fresh, though, since they become stale more easily than the loose leaf type.
- Pour the hot water over the tea, adding an amount that’s in proportion to the tea you’ve added. Your water temperatures must depend on the kind of tea being steeped. If the tea is fermented or oxidized, like black tea, the water should be hotter. If it’s less oxidized, like green or white tea, your water can be a bit cooler.
- Allow the tea to steep. To keep it warm, cover with a tea cozy. Different types of teas also have different steeping times. See the package for instructions, but if none are available, just let steep for one to two minutes. Taste it every now and then, making sure it’s flavorful, but not bitter.
- If you have an infuser or strainer, take the tea leaves from the pot. You can also pour the liquid into another container, then catch the tea leaves. Put the tea pot back in the tea cozy, if there are some remaining, after you’ve served everyone. This makes stay hot longer.
- You can infuse again. Various kinds of tea can be infused several times. Just repeat the steps, but increase the steeping time with every infusion, to get the most flavor out.
- Serve with sugar, cream, milk, lemon or honey. Make sure you don’t serve the lemon-milk combination, though, or the milk will curdle. Everyone has their own unique way of drinking tea, so find the best way for you.
According to a Japanese proverb, if a man does not have tea in him, he will not be able to understand beauty and truth. This is probably true, but remember that before you can savor tea, preparing it properly comes first. When making this delicious beverage, remember the steps above. Soon, you’ll find yourself with a steaming infusion you’ll be proud of.
Ask a question
Comments