Seeing that I’m moving I’m not sure how often I’ll be around in the next week. We have to cancel and then get new internet set up at a new place so I may be gone for a little while. In the mean time, Jenny will be around, however I have a few posts tucked away for scheduling. This is one of them.
Many book bloggers like to snack or have something to drink while they read. My obsession is tea. I love to drink it and I love to make it. Because of this I’ve made many different kinds in many different ways and so I’d like to share with you my favorites.
So far the best cup of tea I’ve ever made has been done what many Americans call “the proper British way” which basically means with boiling water rather than just heated in a microwave. Here’s how I do it.
Making the tea:
- Can be done with or without tea pot.
- Boil fresh water (ie water that has not been sitting around) in a kettle or saucepan.
- When it has come to a rolling boil, pour the water over your tea bag into either your cup or a teapot. I prefer the tea pot but that’s just because I have a nice set. You may also use loose leaf tea.
- The boiling water is important as the temperature releases all of the good flavoring.
- A good long steep is in order, around 5 or 6 minutes for a black tea, 4 to 5 for green or herbal.
- Remove your bag or strain your leaves. If you let the bag sit as you drink your tea wil become bitter.
- Now, in much of Britain black tea is made with milk and sugar, known as builders tea. There’s been debate over milk first or milk last and honestly it depends on where I am. When I have no tea pot I have to make it milk last, as my tea is being made in my cup. If i have my tea pot I add my milk and sugar first and then pour my tea over top. I like milk first the best.
- Add milk and sugar to your own taste, a splash of milk and a spoon of sugar is usually enough for me.
- For greens and herbals I don’t recommend adding milk. It’s weird. Sugar will do though. Again, usually just the one spoonful for me.
A friend of mine from a Harry Potter social site has an American Girls Doll blog called Tea Time with Melody Q. She does about 75% doll posts and the rest are tea posts, and she is a tea perfectionist. I love to make her squirm by reminding her as much as I can that I microwave my tea for four minutes and put sugar and HALF AND HALF in it! *evil laughter*
Ok the half and half I get, that's almost as common over in Britian now as regular milk but dude, microwaving? Yuck! Lol
I don't even have a microwave, so my tea is always made with boiling water! I have yet to try milk in my tea, though, except for chai lattes. Someday it will happen.