Teawolf
Moderator
Registered: 08/13/07
Posts: 1
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Brewing iced tea should never be a hassle, nor should it rushed. Regular hot tea will take some time and thought which makes having a pitcher of iced green tea so much more simpler when you long for a cup of the "green stuff." I have made many a brew that was too bitter, too weak, or just plain awful. The first complaint is primarily due to over brewing the tea. Meaning the tea was steeped too long or the water temperature was too high for the tea. The weak tea needs to brew a bit longer, and awful tea needs to be thrown out or watered to your house plants. Green tea, a robust leaf will brew an awful (one could say astringent) beverage if the tea is steeped too long or water temperature was above 185 °F. This is caused by "tannins" naturally found in tea and they will dissolve into water at 176 °F (80°C ) producing a bitter taste. Heating water to
140°F - 185°F (60-80°C) poured over tea leaves then steeped for 1-3 minutes will give you a lovely brew.
Place a colander with small holes onto a fresh pitcher filled with ice then pour brewed tea over the colander to filter out the leaves (I like to use a wire mesh colander usually). Throw away tea leaves or save for compost. Allow tea and ice to sit on the counter for about 5 minutes or so to cool then refridgerate.
Here at Crazy Wisdom we always like to name our iced teas to give them character as well as a mental thought or picture that could also describe the tea. Examples: Tibetan Morning Mist, Green Man Tea with Forest Fruit, Pink Panther, etc.
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Peace, Sam |
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