How to Brew The Perfect Pot of Tea the First Time, Every Time

In today’s helter-skelter, hurry up world, the timeless tradition of tea drinking
draws us back to another era, a time of grace and charm, when communicating
was done face to face in ones drawing room or parlor.
It was a time for people to
stop their daily chores and
relax for a bit, sit down and
chat, sharing the important news of the day
with one another while enjoying a spot of
tea and a snack.  Tea time was Twitter,
E-mail, Facebook, and MySpace of old.
Consider the fact that tea drinking goes back
centuries, each with its own unique stamp
on our

history, making us who we are
today-these whirl- wind creatures rushing
relentlessly through each day, before falling
exhausted into bed at night.
Then, after only a few hours of downtime we
start the whole process over again.

So, while it’s hardly something I can add to the instructions, take a little time to enjoy the
process of brewing tea.  Slow down just enough to enjoy the nuances of preparation.  And,
although tea may seem a simple, ordinary task, the timelessness of it is far from it.

How to Brew Tea

What you will need:

 

  •  A tea kettle to boil water (stainless steel or enamel over

          steel is best.  Never use aluminum.

  •  Loose leaf tea or tea bags
  •  Teapot and teacups
  •  An infuser or strainer (optional)
  •  Good tasting cold water (if your tap water tastes bad,

          use filtered or bottled water.

Fill the tea kettle with cold water, using one cup of water for
every cup of tea,  plus one cup to pre-warm the teapot.

Heat water as follows:
For Black Tea – bring water to a rolling boil.  Be careful not to over boil the water.
This depletes the water of necessary oxygen needed to release flavors while steeping.

For Oolong Tea – stop just short of a rolling boil.

For delicate White and Green Teas – these teas require less heat.  Bring water to pre-
boiling, when air bubbles are just beginning to form.

Preheat the teapot with hot water from the tea kettle.  Swirl around and then discard.

For each cup of tea served, add one rounded teaspoon of loose tea (or one tea bag)
to teapot.

Pour boiling water into teapot directly over tea leaves, and steep.
Below are some general guidelines for steeping times.*  If using
an infuser, remove after steeping, or use a strainer for the tea
leaves.

        Steeping Times*

        Black tea – steep for approximately 3 – 5 minutes
Green tea – steep for 1 to 3 minutes
Oolong tea – steep for 3 to 7 minutes
White tea – steep anywhere from 1 to 8 minutes
Herbal teas – steep for 5 to 7 minutes

*Steeping times listed above are general guidelines, especially for white teas.  Ask your
tea retailer for recommendations when purchasing teas.  Your best bet is to experiment
with steeping times, and adjust them to your own personal tastes.  Some people like
their tea stronger, others weaker, so your own palate is your best guide.

Feel free to experiment with different teas and blends.  Once you get the brewing
        techniques down pat, it’s fun to try different types and flavors of tea.  Many teas are
good both 
hot and cold.  You’ll be surprised at how good they taste either way, so don’t
limit yourself to just one or the other.

With so many different teas available, you could try a new one every day for a year with-
out exhausting the offerings, so get out there and try something new. And whatever you
choose, have fun with it.  Enjoy.

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