How to Brew Tea
At Boston Harbor, we understand that there are many ways people may opt to brew their tea. For the best flavor and to ensure that all of the tea’s properties are released, however, we recommend the following hot water method:
- Heat water on stovetop to 190-195 degrees.
- Remove loose-leaf tea from bag.
- Using a stainless steel or glass teapot, add the tea and enough hot water to accommodate the number of cups you will be drinking within the next 48 hours.
- Allow the tea to steep for 3 -5 minutes.
- Pour through a fine mesh strainer into cup. Tap tea leaves and any herbs in strainer back into pot and allow them to continue to steep. The remainder may then be poured into a cup for a hot tea, or into a glass and refrigerated for a cool tea later in the day.
We do not recommend using “sun tea” methods at any time, as it not only impacts the flavor, but does not reach a high enough temperature to release either the complexities of the tea or the healing properties in the herbal blends which may be utilized.
If you opt to keep the tea in one of our custom bags for steeping, simply follow the same hot water steeping process, placing the bag directly in teapot or another glass/stainless steel container. Some of our customers who use our custom tea bags opt to brew and store their teas and store them in a mason jar. A quart size jar can accommodate up to four separate brews. A tea infuser may also be used.
Teas can be utilized repeatedly before losing their taste or efficacy. For safety, we strongly urge our customers to throw away any tea (bagged or loose) steeped but not consumed within 48 hours. This includes those which are stored in the refrigerator.