My parents worked in the tea industry way before I was around, so I trust them more than any other source when it comes to making great tea. My father is of Persian descent, my mother of Japanese, and we come from England. These regions are all culturally very heavily tea-based, so my tips here will cover more than just black tea.
For loose leaf tea, it's the best to have a round teapot for brewing the leaves. Having this shape allows the loose leaves to dance around when the water is added. Before brewing, add boiling water to the pot and swirl it around to keep its temperature up.
Although I much prefer loose leaf, I do use bags. When I do so, I heat the cup beforehand for temperature control. After pouring the water into the cup, I place a saucer on top of it so it acts like a small teapot, trapping the steam in. Do not stand there and dunk the teabag over and over the entire time, but do dunk it a few times before pulling it out in order to mix the tea up. Enjoy immediately.
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I make my tea in half gallon mason jars. To keep the tea bags from falling in while I am pouring the water into the jar or letting the seep, I put the tea bags in the jar with strings and tabs hanging down the outside of the jar.
When I make iced tea I always make it with my coffee maker. I make 2 separate gallons. I put 8 teabags in the brew basket where the coffee and filter would go and brew a full pot.
Once in a while I will not estimate the water needed to fill my tea carafe and this makes a mess. I just got tired of cleaning up water spills. So now I fill the carafe with water, then pour it into an empty kettle.
Secure a paper clip to the tab. No more fishing out the tea bag. I had a large paper clip for the picture, but a small one will work, too.
I make 5 cups of tea at a time in a carafe. It's a great way to have a cup whenever you want one. But sadly, out of site and all that...
In our house we don't drink coffee, but we go through iced tea like crazy. It takes so long for water to come to a boil on the stove, so I started making my tea differently.
Keep a small baggy of teas handy when you go out and make sure to bring a travel mug. That way you can always make a cup of tea. Hot water is almost always free!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have just started to drink tea. I would love to get some recipes on how you make hot or iced tea. I do not like lemon or sugar in my tea. What brands are best? Do you make it in a pan or in a coffee maker? Please give me some tips.
Slices of orange in a glass of iced tea is a really yummy alternative to lemon and sugar.
I use Luzianne Decaf teabag-family size. I either put two bags in a 2 c. measuring cup and add at least 1 c. water and boil in microwave for 3 min. OR I put the bags in the carafe of my coffee maker, add about 1 c. water and let it run through.
IF YOU ADD JUST A 'PINCH' OF BAKING SODA TO YOUR STEEPING TEA (FOR ICED TEA) YOU CAN USE FEWER T BAGS
YOU WON`T TASTE THE B SODA
The best way to make Iced Tea is to take 3 regular size tea bags, any kind will do, add to a half gallon of water, does not have to be hot, and let it sit for 3 hours. Remove the tea bags and you will have perfect, nonbitter, iced tea. It does not have to sit in the sun, you can in fact put it in the refrigerator for 5 hours or so and it will be done. This method also stops the tea from becoming cloudy.
i make sun tea clean a gallon container put 8 small tea bags in or 3 large ones stick container outside in sun best tea
I MAKE SUN ,TO ME IT TASTE BETTER THAN BOILED TEA. I GET A CLEAN GALLON JAR FILL WITH COLD WATER PUT 8 SMALL TEA BAGS OR 3 LARGE ONES PUT OUT IN SUN FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 HOURS.
Something that you might like to try in your tea is lime juice, fresh squeezed. We first had this at a Mexican restaurant, it was great!
I make iced tea in my drip coffee pot. Let it steep a couple hours depending on how strong you like it.
I drink a lot of iced tea at work and needed a fast and easy way to make the tea. I have one of the large insulated cups (52oz) that you find at a convience store. I put two regular tea bags and one green tea bag in the cup and add about cup or so of hot water. I swirl the water and tea bags for a 30 or so seconds and let sit for two to three minutes. Then I add a couple handfuls of ice to the hot tea mix and fill with water. I take the tea bags out and squeeze the tea bags out. I add one packet of sweet and low and more ice if needed.
Christy
How can I make peach tea. I saw it somewhere on t.v. or something and can't remember it. I love tea and peaches. thanks.
I have never heard of peach tea. I bet you could use an old fashioned lemon juicer or even a blender and get as much juice out of it that you want and then use cheesecloth to filter out the pulp. Add the juice to your tea.
Or you could boil the peaches in 10-12 cups of water and use that water to make your tea in.
Red Robin restaurant makes lemonade and they put fresh raspberries or strawberries (your choice) in it and they leave a little pulp from the lemon in there. It is good, just not sure how it would be in tea though.
try Chai tea....very delicious and satisfy's a sweet tooth!
Buy Chai teabags (Liptons has them)
2 cups water in saucepan
add tea bag
boil
Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar..the demura (dark) and 1 cup milk. (powdered, skim or 1%)
Remove from heat. serve. Serves 4
If you look around in the net you will find out how to make Chai tea yourself instead of buying the tea bags, saving a lot of money
Ginger Tea
Use the cheap tea bags..1 tea bag, 2 cups water,add a dollar sized piece of fresh ginger. Boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk until mixture is nice golden color. Serves 3 or 4
Delicious!
To make ice tea I use my aunt's recipe.
Use large jar or pitcher of cold water.
add teabags. Refridgerate overnight.
If when you go to serve it, it has turned
cloudy, put 1 Tbsp of very hot water
to your drink. I also make my ice cubes
of the tea.
I don't like using sugar, but I do use Splenda (for all those that have a sweet tooth but like to be healthy). it's easy to remember - 3, 13, 1. 1 gallon of water for 3 family sized tea bags (I also use Luzianne). And then 3 minutes in the microwave and let it steep for an hour - then pour it over 1 cup of Splenda. Put it in the fridge till it cools and add ice.
For hot tea, I just use the bags at the store, the White Peach Tea is really good. But if you want to make your own, you can use one of those Birtish tea makers, or just use a little tea leaf holder and boil the water and let it steep in your cup and if you want to add some flavor, try using some flavored creamer.
Select herbs from your garden or purchase fresh ones to prepare your own loose leaf herbal teas. Clean the leaves, cut, and dry. Now you can have a relaxing cup of tea before bed or anytime.
Whether you use loose tea or bags, there are a number of ways to reduce the cost. This is a page about saving money on tea.
