Thursday, October 13, 2011

How to Make a Good Cup of Hot Tea

I am some what of an expert in making hot tea. I was raised by my English grandmother who made hot tea no less than 4 times a day. I was shocked to find that making a good cup of hot tea is not common knowledge. My husband and friends have made me tea that is watery and tasteless. The biggest thing that they were missing was steep time. Steeping refers to the amount of time you let the tea bag sit in the hot water. It's not enough to put the bag in and serve. In order to make a good tasting cup you have to let it steep for at least 3 to 5 minutes. It is also a good idea not to fill your cup up full with the hot water. A tea bag is intended for 6 to 8 ounces of water and the average coffee mug holds 12 ounces. 


Right after adding the tea bag...


After 30 seconds...


After 3 minutes...


After 5 minutes...


Obviously you can see that letting the tea bag sit for the full 5 minutes gets the tea nice to a dark amber color. The flavor is stronger and it makes a much better cup of tea.

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