The Perfect Brew
What makes the perfect brew? What one person likes might differ to another, but I have found that loose leaf teas are far superior to teabags or so called 'dust'. So how do you make the perfect brew with loose leaf tea?
If you are new to loose leaf tea, it may seem slightly daunting at first, since tea bags are so easy and convenient to use and that's the whole point of them, to have an instant cup of tea. I even admit to using them on lazy mornings. But loose leaf tea to me, especially during the last two years of the pandemic has become a staple in my home, not only because of it's superior quality in flavour, but also for the time it gives you to reflect on a moment of calm and wellbeing. From smelling the beautiful flavour of the leaves in the tin, to the enjoyment of pouring hot water over them and watching them brew, to sitting for a little while and enjoying that first cup of tea. It's almost hard to go back to teabags. Recently I've been trying so many different loose leaf teas that when I did have a lazy morning and opted for a teabag, I just tasted watery and unflavourful.
What's the difference?
So what is the difference between loose leaf and what's in the the teabag? Teabags are the dust and fannings that are left over from tea leaves. Fannings refer to the small pieces of tea that are left over from higher grades of tea. The smaller pieces in fannings are referred to as dust. I will post about grades of tea in a future post. But traditionally, these are treated as the 'rejects' of the manufacturing process. Fannings and dust are considered to be the lowest grade of tea. So loose leaf tea, depending on the quality and grade, are the whole leaves. Top quality grades like Orange Pekoe consist of only the leaf buds which are hand picked in a specific way to avoid bruising and breakage. So it's obvious that loose leaf is going to give you a far better flavour.
How to Brew
For my perfect brew, I tend to stick to the general rule of one teaspoon of tea per cup of tea, and an extra for the pot if you are using a teapot. But always check the packaging for guidelines and recommendations.
Step 1: Start with fresh, clean water. Fill your kettle with clean, filtered water. Old or stale water will affect the overall flavour. Also reboiling the water after it has been boiled maybe 10 minutes or so ago will result in a bitter aftertaste. So never reboil.
Step 2: Boil to the recommended water temperature. It is quite useful to have a kettle with a temperature gauge on so you can control the temperature for different types of tea. For example, black tea will need boiling water at around 212 degrees Fahrenheit. For green tea, it is usually recommended at about 175, but again it depends on which type of tea you have. If the water is too hot, it will just burn the leaves and will result in a bitter tasting cup of tea. But if your water is not hot enough, it won't allow the tea leaves to properly infuse and will result in a weak and unflavourful tea. If you don't have a temperature controlled kettle, you can always boil the kettle and let it cool down abit before pouring.
Step 3: Warm your vessel first. Whether it's a mug or teapot, always warm it up first with hot water as this will help the tea hold its temperature when pouring it in and help it to steep better.
Step 4: Add the recommended amount of tea to your teapot or vessel. So if I was making a pot of tea for two, with one of my go to black loose leaf teas for example, I would add about 3 teaspoons of tea to the pot. Again this is where I find making tea to be the most enjoyable, as you'll soon discover what works for you and your tastes. Sometimes I have followed the guidelines on the packaging and found that that just wasn't strong enough for me, so the next time I made it with a little more or let it steep a little longer. I like my tea slightly stronger as I really want to taste the full flavour. You can use a teapot with an infuser in it, or just pour it all in the pot and use a strainer to pour your tea into a teacup or mug. You can also use an infuser that sits in a mug, but I personally don't like these as they can be too small and won't fully allow the tea leaves to expand which can result in a weaker flavour.
Step 5: After pouring your water, cover your vessel, whether it be a mug, you can cover it with a small plate or lid, or a teapot, I like to put a tea cosy on top to help maintain the heat.
Step 6: Let it steep to the recommended time. If you do let it steep for too long, it can result in a bitter tasting tea as the tea leaves will release tannins that can change the taste. But again, do what works for you and experiment with it a little to get your desired taste.
Step 7: Once your tea has brewed, remove the tea leaves. It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy your cup of tea!
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