Tea
Time!
Brewing a Tasty Cup of Tea
Sipping
on a cup of tea can be a comforting (and healthy!) practice. Tea, both
black and green, contains antioxidants that may, among other things, help
protect against cancer and heart disease. While tea is not recommended
as a replacement for fruit and vegetables, tea's antioxidant activity
has been compared to that of fruit and vegetables in a number of studies.
January
is National Hot Tea Month and a great time to enjoy a hot and healthy
cup of tea. If you've been making tea that tastes like lukewarm dishwater,
some of these suggestions may help you:
1. Start
with fresh cold water
Use fresh
cold water rather than hot tap water or water that has already been heated
for making your tea. Hot tap water and reheated water have less oxygen
and give a "flatter" flavor. Let the water run from the tap
for a few seconds to incorporate more oxygen. Unless the directions for
your tea state otherwise, heat about 8-ounces of water for each cup of
tea you plan to make.
TIP:
Use bottled or filtered water if your regular tap water has an unpleasant
flavor.
2. Preheat
teapot or cup
While waiting
for your water to heat, preheat the teapot or cup in which your tea bag(s)
or loose tea will be steeped by filling it with hot water. It's OK to
use hot tap water for preheating. If the heated water for your tea is
poured into a cold teapot or cup, the water temperature may drop several
degrees and decrease the flavor extraction from the tea.
TIP:
If steeping tea directly in a cup, you may wish to cover the cup both
while warming it with hot water and while the tea is brewing to retain
the heat. Your saucer is a possibility for a cover. You also can purchase
tea mugs with lids.
3. Use
correct amount of water and tea
As a general
guideline, use about 1 tea bag or 1 teaspoon of loose tea per 8-ounce
cup of tea. Check package directions. If your tea is too strong, add more
hot water after your tea has brewed. If your tea is too weak, either use
more tea or less water the next time you make tea.
4. Brew
at correct time/temperature
Follow
the directions that come with your tea for the recommended brewing time
and temperature.
Generally,
for black teas -- bring the water to a rolling
boil. Immediately pour the boiling water over the tea. Allow black tea
to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
For green
tea, which is more delicate than black tea, use water that is about
160 to 180 degrees F or just below boiling. At this temperature, you will
see some steam rise from the water. This lower temperature helps protect
against a bitter or astringent taste in green tea. Brew green tea for
about 3 minutes, or as directed on the package. TIP: If heating
your water for green tea in a whistling tea kettle, flip back or remove
the whistle section so you can see when steam starts rising from the spout.
TIP:
Avoid letting tea over steep -- this also can make it bitter. It may be
helpful to use a timer in brewing your tea -- the color of the tea isn't
necessarily an indicator of the tea's taste.
5. Don't
overcrowd loose tea
If you
use loose tea leaves rather than tea bags, your tea will taste best if
the leaves have some room to expand. Place the tea leaves directly into
a teapot and strain the brewed tea with a fine mesh strainer into your
cups. Or use a basket infuser or a large tea ball in your teapot or cup.
A tea ball or basket infuser should be filled no more than half full with
tea so the leaves have room to expand for the best flavor.
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