Making a Tea Concentrate for Easy Hosting

The following recipe is a wonderful way to make tea for many people, just in time for your holiday gatherings! You can even make this concentrate 1-3 days ahead of time to keep things extra convenient and stress-free! 

 Determining the Amount of Loose Tea and Water 

Use the following chart to help you know how much loose tea and filtered water will be needed: 

Directions for Preparing Tea Concentrate 

Items needed for this recipe: 

• a stockpot 

• A good-quality, loose-leaf tea (not packed) 

• Large spoon 

• A large, fine mesh colander or sieve OR cheesecloth and kitchen twine or cloth tea filter socks 

• glass container with lid 

• Spring, Mineral, or Filtered water 

Directions:  

1. Bring your water to a boil in the stockpot. Use a thermometer to watch the temperature if you desire a lower tea temp. (Some teas can get quite bitter if steeping in boiling water, like green tea, for example.) 

1. Immediately after the water reaches the desired water temperature, turn off the heat source. 

1. Add all the tea to the stockpot. You can do this with loose-leaf tea if you plan on straining after, or you can essentially make your own large tea bags with cheesecloth and closing them up with twine. If making your own tea bags, make sure you leave plenty of room for the leaves to open up. It is preferable to use multiple tea bags rather than stuffing one.  

1. Stir tea with a large spoon and cover the pot. 

1. Steep tea for 4-5  minutes if using a dark oolong, black, or rooibos. Use about 2.5-3.5 minutes for green, yellow or sheng pu'er. Use 7-10 minutes for herbals or shu pu'er.  Do not over-steep the tea. 

1. If using a strainer or sieve, you can line it with rinsed cheesecloth or paper coffee filters to prevent more particles from getting through. 

1. Carefully and slowly pour tea concentrate through the colander. 

1. Keep the tea concentrate in a glass container with tight fitting lid. Wait until it completely cools before storing in the fridge.  

When ready to serve:  

You can use the tea concentrate in smaller teapots or large thermoses. Tip: Do not use thermoses or urns that have been used for coffee as it can negatively affect the flavor of the tea.  

Use about 1 part concentrate for 4 parts hot water. Be sure to taste it first and adjust strength to your liking!  

If making iced tea use 1 part concentrate 2 parts water and 2 parts ice. Mix well!