A Perfect Cup of Tea

Storing Tea Air, light, heat, and moisture are the four enemies of tea.  It will lose its flavor and aroma quickly if not stored properly.  If you plan on using the tea you have purchased within a week or two, investing in a quality container will keep most teas fresh for up to a year.  The best type of container is ceramic canister with a rubber trimmed latch.  These containers are airtight when latched and will prevent any other odors from permeating your tea. 

The ceramic canisters can be a little pricey, so a good alternative would be a pry top tin.  These are usually double lidded and will protect your tea purchase.  The tins come in a variety of colors and designs to fit into most decors.

If stored in a proper container, black and oolong teas should keep well over a year.  Green tea however lose their qualities faster and should be used within a six to twelve month period.

Many Keemun teas actually improve with age.

Brewing To brew a perfect cup of tea just follow these 4 simple steps.

1. Preheat the teapot by filling with hot water.  Be sure to pour the hot water out of the pot before adding the tea leaves.

2. Add one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup.  You may need to add more depending on your personal taste.

3. If brewing black or oolong tea; bring fresh, cold water to a roaring boil and pour it over the leaves.  If brewing white or green tea, use water that is just starting to steam, since these tea leaves are more delicate than black leaves. 

4. Infusion times:  May need to be adjusted according to taste

Black tea: 3-5 minutes Green tea: 2-3 minutes White tea: 2-3 minutes Oolong tea: 2-5 minutes Fruit and Herb Blends: 5-7 minutes

If your cup of tea taste bitter or harsh it may have been over brewed.

Brewing Iced Tea from loose tea leaves

Iced tea is the number one way tea is enjoyed in the United States. Brewing great iced tea from loose tea leaves is simple when you follow these instructions.

1. Determine the amount of iced tea that you will be making; for our example we will use a two quart (64oz) pitcher.

2. Fill the pitcher three-quarters of the way with ice.

3. Use a brewing pot that is a little more than half the size of the pitcher to make the tea concentrate. We use a 47oz brewing pot for our 64oz pitcher. It is necessary to concentrate the tea because we will be straining the tea into the pitcher with ice to dilute it and cool it quickly.

4. Use one level teaspoon of tea for every 8oz cup of the finished iced tea.  We use 9 teaspoons in the brewing pot follow the same brewing times listed above for the type of tea being brewed.

5. Strain the tea into the pitcher with the ice to dilute.

If you use an herbal or fruit blend you can cold brew in the refrigerator. In this method the pitcher has a built-in infuser that you would place 6 teaspoons of tea into and brew with cold water in the refrigerator.

We recommend the following teas for icing:

 All fruit blends are suitable for icing

 Many flavored Black teas will ice well - Choose based on your taste

 Tarajulie estate Assam makes an excellent regular iced tea

 Peach Green is one of the best green teas to ice