Tea Brewing Guidelines
Everyone likes tea brewed a certain way. Here's a few proven techniques.
Hot Tea
1. Start with cold, great tasting, water. If your tap water does not taste good, then use filtered or bottled water. (Use cold water because a typical hot water heater will often add contaminants and reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, which is needed for flavor extraction).
2. Heat the water to the temepture listed on the chart below. Remember for rolling boil, (Do not boil the water for a long period of time because this too will deplete the water of oxygen).
3. Once your water is heated, remove from heat and add 1 tea bag per quart (32 oz.) of water. Then follow the steep time on the chart below. If your tea has brewing instructions included, follow those, as they are probably ideal for that specific tea.
Tea | Water Temperature | Steep Time |
Green Teas | 160 degrees F | 1 - 3 minutes |
Tea Blends | 180 degrees F | 4 - 6 minutes |
Sherpa Tea | 190 degrees F | 5 minutes |
Black Teas | Rolling Boil | 3 - 5 minutes |
Herbal (tisanes) | Rolling Boil | 5 - 7 minutes |
Verb to steep (third-person singular simple present steeps, present participle steeping, simple past and past participle steeped)
To soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from an item.
Infused Iced Tea
This is one of the best ways to obtain the healthy elements in teas. It’s a slow process but worth it. For all our teas add 4-6 tea bags per gallon of purified spring water to a clear glass container. Don’t add sugar or honey at this time to avoid fermentation. Sun infuse for 1 whole day in a warm sunny spot. Remove the tea bags and strain if desired. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Add Ice, Honey, and Lemon etc.
Sweet Tea
Honey, it's up to you. Honey, nature’s sweetener contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals. Along with antioxidants including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin. Please do not add sugars, real or fake to our teas.
Milk/Cream
We've heard about adding milk to our teas. This sounds like a great way to experiment with your taste buds. Go ahead add some milk to your next cup of warm or cold tea..
Alcohol
Time and time again we hear about how well Desert Shaman teas mix with alcohol. Please use caution and drink safe. Remember don’t drink and drive! But feel free to mix a few drinks with our teas...Cheers!
Storing Teas
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, teas should keep well over a year. Green teas however lose their qualities faster and should be used within a six to twelve month period.