HIBISCUS TEA -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Although there are certainly other good tea purveyors this is a good one to get an idea of the kinds of quality issues to consider. Readers are welcome to post their favorites, too.
The one thing to first consider is that tea bags can be problematic for various reasons: the quality of the tea in the bag can be damaged or less than what it should be;
the bag itself may have ingredients of question (and these little plastic mesh bag are, well, not a good idea at all) . . . and
there are often additives to tea bags. Even "natural flavors" are not usually natural at all and can be - quite literally - addictive in their nature as to how they light up the addictive part of our brains.
Similar to MSG in some ways, these "natural flavors" can be. That's why we crave more of anything with "natural flavors" . . . it's designed to do that.
There may be a few tea manufacturers who do make a good tea bag and don't fall into the caution zone but homework is required to be sure of what you really getting / consuming.
My favorite place for FINDING LOOSE TEA: be sure to check out their information tabs, too.
They have answered many a question by phone for me over the years as well. So knowledgeable are they. They actually go in person to inspect many of the teas where they are grown. And they ensure that the workers are treated fairly in all respects.
BREW FACTS & Terms -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- My own method during these summer months, well, really all year long to get the most out of each little strainer of tea is after a brew one cup, I put it in a small glass jar and can usually brew several more, even condensed and store in glass bottle for later use.
For instance, instead of 2 spoonfuls of loose tea in the little strainer, I put four and just keep it all very condensed. This might last me many days.
This way I only heat up the kettle once a day - or once every few days - during the cooler times of the day.
It's important to know that your mug and strainer are not of toxic materials. Many mugs can have lead or cadmium - and be sure your strainer is real stainless steel.
But that's another matter for later as to how to figure this part out.
Kettles can also require some homework as to the lining. Electric kettles often contains some plastic (a no, no, never sort of thing) . . . as for a microwave oven, I do not have one so have not thought about this much.
Certainly, avoid aluminum. And avoid any petroleum based non-stick surfaces.
Some nice copper kettles (far above my means) have a tin interior. Not sure what tin is exactly other than what Wikipedia can tell me.
A glass based enamel interior is good but be sure of what they call enamel. Chantal is a good brand as is Le Creuset. But these can be hard to keep over time the interior surface, I've found.
Some of the less expensive brands of enamel tend to chip and that's really then chips of glass. Read all the reviews you can find.
Some outlets do have the better quality enamel kettles for lower prices but be sure they are legit, not counterfeit or knock-offs.
As for glass kettles for the stove top, some of these have actually exploded.
The old corning ware kettles are great but they are too small in diameter for an electric stove burner of 6 inches. When the burner is larger than the base, the side handle of those can get dangerously hot.
Best to never really put on high for any kettle. A low to medium heat is just fine and will help your kettle last longer.
Green teas cannot take really hot water, anyway.
To maintain kettle, empty each night and let drain / dry. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- One other matter is sweetness. Stevia had been my go-to but as I tend to drink tea all day long . . . I became concerned that, perhaps, it's not a good idea for my brain to perceive sweetness all the time.
It took me two tries to really break myself of this and take tea straight. Finally, after about 6 wks now, that's all settled and if the tea is too strong, I just add more water. Glad to not have it sweet other than just now and then.
Even Chai Tea is wonderful without anything added. Although for those who can "do" dairy, real whole milk added can be nice. For those who are LCHF, be sure to avoid milk and go for the heavy cream as it is zero carbohydrates.
Whether organic, or not, be sure there are no additives to thicken it. Just found out that Horizon cream adds a thickener. Organic Valley does not. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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MannaMe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33330
posted
We grow several kinds of tea in our backyard. Fresh tea all spring, summer and fall. We dry some of it for winter.
Posts: 2252 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2011
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