Even the most expensive tea in the world won't do you any good if you don't brew it properly. Yes, it's common to hear people say, "I got unusual tea from my vacation overseas," only to discover that they had no idea how to brew the tea and had accused the tea shop of selling them terrible tea. Here, we'll walk you through 5 brewing-related blunders that people frequently make. Not only that, but we'll also explain how to avoid them so you can make the ideal cup of tea
Storage
Tea should always be kept in an airtight container, preferably in a bag inside a metal container. Keep the tea away from heat and direct sunshine, and don't directly pour the leaves into a glass jar or metal box. As a general guideline, avoid storing your tea in the same cabinet as your spices because it will absorb the strong aroma and take on that flavour the next time you make it. So kindly keep it away from hot things like spices.
Water
Water is the foundation of your tea and the elixir of life. Never use boiled water to prepare tea; always use fresh water. Use bottled water to prepare your tea if you live in a city where the tap water is severely chlorinated. Utilizing water from your water filter is secure. Because treated water lacks natural oxygen, it will never make a good cup of tea. Therefore, ensure that the water has a pleasant, clean flavour.
Don't overboil
Heating the water to the proper temperature will ensure that you extract the natural flavours from the tea leaves, making it the most important step in the tea-making process. Use a stainless steel pan while making tea on a gas stove instead of an aluminium one since aluminium reacts with water. Use your electric kettle to scald the water if you have one. Avoid leaving the water unattended since there is a good likelihood that it could overboil, which causes the oxygen in the water to vanish.
Don't cook the tea leaves
I've observed that people in Indian houses frequently put cold water on the gas stove to boil before adding tea leaves, milk, and sugar. The tea will be cooked, producing a rather bitter beverage. On a gas stove, heat the water to about boiling, turn the heat off, add the tea leaves, and cover the pan. Serve it after letting it brew at the desired strength.
Adding milk and sugar
This contentious issue has been discussed everywhere, from the White House to Buckingham Palace. Some people advise adding cold milk to the cup before adding the tea. Some people think you can mix a little milk into black tea. Pouring hot milk will cause oil rings to appear in your cup of tea and the fat or cream to rise to the top. Tea without milk and sugar is healthy because you'll consume fewer calories and get to taste the tea's true flavour.