Loose leaf tea is the best option among verities of teas available on the market. This is a tea that is grounded and is not packed in tea bags.
The best loose leaf tea will bring you the enjoyment of the fresh and aromatic drink. Organic ones are better in taste and aroma than the one in bags.
The quality of both packaged and unpackaged tea is quite diverse and the price proves it.
A disadvantage of herbs in filter bags is that when you buy it you can’t see the content of the bag.
This allows the manufacturer to put tea powder in them which remains at the processing and thus it can’t be compared with high-quality teas.
Loose-leaf teas are made with the best ingredients and don’t contain seeds and stems as in bags that can make your drink taste bitter.
Do you think they are more expensive than the one in bags? Not true really.
Tea in bulk is strong and you can use it several times. For example, you are preparing a cup of green tea and you used 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf.
You can use the leaves again and prepare a new hot cup the next time.
How many herbs for one cup?
Enjoying a cup of loose leaf tea is more than just sipping a tasty beverage.
You take time for yourself, boil water, choose your favorite cup, and take a bag from the shelf.
You open a bag with tea and stop for a moment. You ask yourself, how much herbs do you need for one cup?
Almost every tea lover faces this embarrassment but it is normal. A wide selection of teas and different recipes for preparing it is sometimes confusing and we do not know what instructions to follow.
This is a general rule for preparing a cup of your favorite tea. It can be modified, of course, regarding your personal taste and needs.
Up to 1 teaspoon
Matcha – 0.5-1 tsp
Mate – 1 tsp
Pu-erh – 1 tsp
1-2 teaspoons
Black tea – 1-2 tsp
Oolong tea 1-2 tsp
Herbal tea – 1-2 tsp
Green – 1-2 tsp
2 teaspoons
White tea – 2 tsp
Fruit tea – 2 tsp
Rooibos – 2 tsp
Ice tea – 2 tsp
How to brew it?
The higher is the quality of the leaves; the lower should be the water temperature and the longer the steeping time. The water should be boiled once and cooled to a suitable temperature.
If it is too hot, the content of tea will be destroyed. The best loose leaf teas are always overflowed with water, which has less than 80 degrees Celsius.
Green and yellow tea
Tea is best prepared in clay or ceramic kettle. Prepare your green and yellow tea as an infusion with water which has a temperature of 70 to 80° C. This temperature is accomplished by boiling water and adding a third of cold water.
Leave it to stand for 3-5 minutes. Quality green and yellow teas can also shed 2-3 times but leave it to stand for a longer time – from 7-15 minutes.
Black tea
Pour black tea with boiling water and let it stand for 2-3 minutes. The longer the leaves soak, the bitterer is the drink. In the first 3 minutes, theine will be secreted, polyphenols will secrete later which will contribute to bitterness.
Therefore, it is recommended that black tea soaks in boiling water for 2-3 minutes but some up to 5 minutes. It is also delicious with the addition of milk, liquid cream or lemon juice.
Red tea
Red teas prepare like black ones: pour hot water on leaves and let it stand for 4-5 minutes, then strain. Cover it when waiting and drink it without additives.
6 Rules on how to store tea
Storing tea can be very easy. If you store it in an airtight container in a dark, cool and dry place where there are no strong odors, you will tend to spend it before you notice a loss of flavor or taste.
However, what you need to do in order to preserve its natural freshness and avoid its ruining? Here are 6 rules to help you.
1. Store it without access to oxygen
Oxidation is the biggest problem in storage. There is a bigger possibility of oxidation during storage with teas that were not oxidized or were slightly oxidized in the production process.
As these teas are appreciated precisely because of its vitality and production without oxidation, it is better to avoid oxidation. This applies particularly to the green, yellow and white ones.
I should warn you that even when the tea is kept in airtight containers there will be some air between the leaves and in the container. So an airtight doesn’t mean airless. Please read the sixth rule on how to avoid this.
2. Keep it away from heat
Heat accelerates the oxidation. Some delicate green and yellow teas are therefore best stored in the refrigerator or freezer which can effectively prevent oxidation.
At the same time, you have to be very careful to avoid moisture on the leaves.
It is recommended that you pack it in small packages so that you will spend it a week. This will make you drink fresh for a longer time.
Before you store tea packets in the freezer, squeeze out as much air as you can because otherwise, the air will moisten the leaves, leaving a wet trail.
The most important thing for cold storage of herbs is to take them out of the refrigerator or freezer and let them warm up to room temperature before opening the packet.
Before you open a bag, allow it to stand for several hours in order to avoid the accumulation of moisture in the leaves.
3. Store it away from light
Although teas look fabulous in glass containers and you want them to be on display, the effect of light can be very damaging for it.
Light exposure will lighten the leaves and devastate complex flavors. At the same time, light can damage the leaves, making tea drink with a metallic taste.
It is best to store it in opaque containers in the dark, without access to light.
4. Store it away from strong odors
Leaves absorb odors from your surroundings. This is very useful in the production of flavored teas such as jasmine.
The leaves are kept in the immediate vicinity of jasmine flowers that produce tea with a delicate aroma of jasmine.
This feature can be devastating when the herbs are kept in the vicinity of unpleasant odors.
This means not only that the tea can be stored in premises with a strong smell (such as kitchens or wet basement), but also to avoid containers with a strong odor.
Certain wooden containers, an airtight tin container with a rubber seal and plastic containers can destroy the flavor and taste of your drink.
5. Keep it away from moisture
It’s no secret that leaves release their flavor when they come into contact with moisture. It is therefore important to avoid any moisture when storing tea.
This doesn’t mean just to avoid exposure of leaves to visible liquids.
Teas are hygroscopic; this means they absorb moisture from the air too. Therefore, an airtight container is irreplaceable when you want to prevent access of moisture to the leaves.
6. Store it in large quantities
This rule actually combines the first and fourth rule but it is still worth mentioning.
A small quantity of tea at the bottom of a large airtight container will go to waste faster than the one in the full airtight container. Fill containers and caskets to the top to maintain natural freshness.
Slightly shake the tea in the container during charging to settle and then charge again.
If more tea is in the container, it will have less contact with other things in the area and the less likely it is to be taken over by tea scent surroundings.
In short, large quantities of herbs are less exposed to the harsh impact of the environment than a small amount.
Bonuses for storing it in bulk
1) Teas that are less oxidized in the production process (green, yellow and white ones) will go to waste faster than the ones that are more oxidized (oolong and black teas).
2) The more leaves are grounded; the greater is the surface area in contact with air, so the herbs rapidly spoils.
A king among teas
When it comes to your favorite drink, prepare it with the best loose leaf tea ingredients that will provide full flavor and aroma. Organic tea will do that for you because it has one important factor – quality.
I provided instructions for preparing a perfect cup that will satisfy your needs. Follow the instructions in this article and you will drink the tastiest hot beverage again and again.
Tea storage is very important so try to store it in dark, dry and in an airtight container. Not every tea is the same when it comes to preparation so stick with the simple rules that I gave.
If you are thinking of price, quality, and taste and vacillating between buying yourself tea bags or loose leaf tea, decide for the second option.
You won’t be disappointed, I am sure. You will spare your money (reuse of the leaves) and enjoy in the best tea that exists.
