March 1, 2007

Brewing Up the Perfect Cup

People have been brewing tea for centuries and although it may seem as easy as boiling water and dunking a tea bag, I’d like to share some tricks of the trade that make your cup of tea the best it can be. By following these simple steps, you can turn tea time into something really special!

Brewing Hot Tea

• Use fresh water. Good water makes good tea, so start with fresh, cold water. When possible, use distilled water for the purest possible flavor.
• Measure the water. Use only 6–8 oz. of water for each tea bag to get the most flavor from the carefully measured ingredients. 
• Heat the water. For herb, red, chai and black teas, use boiling water. For green and white teas, heat the water just to the brink of boiling.
• Pour water over tea bag. Immediately pour the heated water over the tea bag in your teapot or teacup.
• Cover your cup. Whenever possible, keep the teacup or teapot covered to retain the heat.
• Time the brew. For the best flavor, brewing time depends on the tea type: three to five minutes for green and black teas, four to six minutes for herb, chai and red teas and one to three minutes for white teas.
• Squeeze the bag. Give the tea bag a gentle squeeze to release the last bit of flavor and color from the tea bag, then remove the bag from the cup or pot.
• Prepare to enjoy! If desired, the tea flavor can be complemented with a favorite sweetener and/or lemon. Check the tea package for specific preparation recommendations.

Brewing Iced Tea

Celestial Seasonings Cool Brew Iced Teas

• Pour cool water over the Cool Brew tea bags.
• Steep for a minimum of five minutes. After steeping, remove tea bags.
• Add ice and your favorite sweetener.
• Garnish with fresh fruit or mint.

For a stronger brew, use more tea bags. Cool Brew Iced Teas are best when enjoyed within 72 hours of brewing.

Using other Celestial Seasonings blends

To make 1 quart:

• Heat water according to the chart below.
• Pour two cups of heated water over four tea bags in a heat-resistant container.
• Steep according to chart below.
• Remove the tea bags.
• If desired, stir in a sweetener while the tea is hot.
• Add two cups of cold water and chill.
• Serve over ice.