Brewing Tea Leaves
Brewing the perfect cup of tea requires more than just adding hot water to a tea bag. Tea leaves contain many of the essential nutrients, antioxidants and flavonols valuable to the health of the drinker.
Steps for Brewing Tea Leaves:
- Choose your tea of choice: You can select from variety of teas, ranging from black, green, and white teas to herbal or rooibos blends. The type of tea and the amount of tea leaves you select will determine the overall flavor.
- Heat Up Water: You should heat the water to the temperature that matches the type of tea you are using. For example, use boiling water for black tea, and a slightly lower temperature for green teas.
- Add Tea Leaves to the Teapot: Add the correct amount of tea leaves to the teapot. A general rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of leaves per cup of water. Remember that the more leaves you add, the stronger the flavor.
- Steeping: Using a timer, steep the tea leaves for five to seven minutes. Over-steeping tea leaves will create a bitter flavor. If the flavor is too weak, you can add additional tea leaves and extend the steeping time.
- Strain the Tea Leaves: After steeping, strain the tea leaves from the liquid.
- Add sweetener if desired: Sweetening the tea is completely optional. If a little sweetness is desired, add a small amount of honey, agave nectar, or a natural sweetener of your choice.
- Enjoy Your Cup of Tea: Pour the brewed tea into a cup and enjoy.
Brewing tea leaves is an easy process, and it can also be surprisingly rewarding. Take some time to experiment and find the perfect tea for you. Enjoy your home brewed cup of tea!
