Brewing Black Tea the Right Way

Black teas have a great demand all over. Be it among teenagers, adults or elderly persons, all prefer black tea at their leisure time because it provides a mild refreshment after the hectic schedule.The water you use have equal importance as the tea leaves. Use tap water, filtered water, spring water that has not been boiled previously. Avoid using distilled water, because this might result in a flat taste.

Tea leaves expands 3 to 5 times in size. For this reason, a basket-shaped infuser is manadatory.

Ingredients Required:

• 6 ounces of water

• 3 grams of loose leaf black tea

• Optional addition: milk, lemon, sugar, honey

Equipments:

• Tea Kettle for boiling water

• Thermometer (for temperature)

• Teapot

• Measuring spoon

• Filter else Strainer

• Tea Cups for serving

• Timer

• Spoon for mixing sugar, milk(optional)

Procedure:

Heat water at 200 degree Farenheit by placing it in a tea kettle.
Measure the tea leaves with the help of preferred scale.
Place the tea leaves in the teapot.
Pour water over the tea leaves.
Cover the teapot with a lid. After that place a thick towel over the mouth of the teapot so that the heat retains.
Steep the tea for at least 4 minutes.
Then pour the tea through a strainer.
Add milk, lemon, or sweeteners like honey, sugars or other sweet syrups(if required) If using milk, heat it gradually by adding the milk to the cup first, then pouring in the tea. Avoid combining milk and lemon because this may result in curdling of milk .

One General tip:The advantages of whole tea leaves is that it can be steeped at least 2 to 3 times.