Though it may not feel like it, we are currently in the midst of summer. One day, it may rain, and the next, it might be sunny, but the heat remains consistent.
If you love tea, you might hesitate to make yourself a hot cup, as warm drinks don’t offer the same refreshing feeling as cold ones.
Just because you may not want warm tea doesn’t mean you don’t want tea. Well, you’re in luck. All your favourite leaf teas can be cold brewed, meaning you can enjoy your favourite flavours regardless of the weather.
Here is how you can transform your top teas into a delicious cold brew tea.
How Cold Brewing Tea Affects The Tea
Before getting into the brewing process, we recognise that it is important to discuss how cold-brewing your tea may affect it.
Did you know that cold-brewing tea can actually reduce its caffeine content? Caffeine is more soluble in hot water, so it will have more caffeine when you brew tea with hot water. Cold brewing, on the other hand, has the opposite effect and results in tea with lower caffeine levels.
So, if you want to reduce the caffeine you consume, enjoying a cold brew may be the way to go.
Select The Perfect Tea
Before you learn how to brew cold tea, it is important to select the right tea.
You will be glad to know that you can cold brew essentially any tea. So, if you love a particular tea, you can transform it into a delicious cold drink.
Some teas will taste better than others when cold brewed, so we suggest that you select a more fruity tea to cold brew, such as;
Of course, if you have a favourite tea that has not been listed, you can still make it into a delicious cold brew.
The Cold Brew Process
What may surprise you is just how straightforward cold brewing is.
There is no exact science behind making the perfect cold brew; it all boils down to individual taste.
The usual recommendation is to add one tablespoon of loose tea for every 24 ounces of water, but if you want a weaker tea, you can add less, and if you want a stronger tea, you can add more.
Once you decide how strong you want your cold brew, you can start brewing.
Put your steeped tea water into the fridge and wait between 6-12 hours to give the tea a chance to become stronger.
The longer you wait, the more tasteful your tea will be. If you want a weaker tea, leave it to brew for a short period- it’s really that simple.
Getting the taste right can be a case of trial and error, so you may have to brew a few batches before you find the right one.
Why Brewing Time Matters
Though you can essentially brew for as long as you want, you should brew your tea for at least 12 hours for the best results.
If you brew your tea for under 12 hours, your preparing batch may be under-extracted. This means the caffeine solubles haven’t had sufficient time to dissolve into the water so that you may miss out on caffeine and taste.
We get it. Life can be hectic, and you may not have 12 hours to brew your tea, so there are ways to expedite the process.
Leaving your tea to brew at room temperature is a great way to reduce time, as this will help the soluble ingredients soak into the water more quickly. After it has some time to brew at room temperature, you can put it in the fridge or add some ice to make it cool.
If you want the best quality cold brew, we definitely recommend leaving it for 12 hours.
Straining
Depending on the type of tea you have decided to brew, you may have to strain the tea once the process is complete, especially if you have used a particularly loose tea.
Using a quality tea strainer will make the process much easier, so look for a strainer that meets your needs.
Straining is also incredibly straightforward, and we have found that the easier way to strain is by pouring the tea into serving glasses, as straining the whole jug at once can be incredibly difficult and messy.
Explore the World of Cold Brew
Now that you know how to cold brew tea, we recommend trying it yourself.
The process is incredibly simple, and the results will keep you cool and refreshed during these summer months.
Take a look at the variety of delicious teas available at Leaf, and contact our team if you have any questions about the process.
