Tea Leaves

[horticultural_hobbit]

Reckon there are rules about mixing them?

I like tea, my childhood is mostly full of Typhoo loose leaf tea. The advent of tea bags happened begrudgingly in the Hobbit Household.

Over the last couple of years, I've amassed a few different teas beyond the normal every day tea. We've not had Typhoo in years...for one reason or another we now have that Gaffer tea. So now I need to drink the stuff that I have collected. I have chai-autumn in cup-which is fine. Mama and pops like that stuff. That is staying the way it is.

But I had some PG sips leaf tea. It is like rocket fuel! So i've cut it with some ceylon loose leaf leaf in the hope that I will drink it and it will be consumed. Have had the box sat in mama's pantry and its barely been touched. Also waiting for consumption is some darjeeling. But I won't mix that yet.

When I visited Bath, I found myself a tea caddy and mug infuser for school. Tea Caddy is very much GYO themed.

[rustylady]

I think most commercial teas are blends, so yes you should be able to mix what you have. I would try a small quantity to see if you like the results.

[Bren In Pots]

We use Co-op 99 fair trade loose leaf tea and have done for 38 years and before that my Mum and Mum in law did so its the tea both and Mr Pots grew up with.
Never thought of blending teas because we're happy with the one we use but like RS says just try a bit and see if you like the taste.

[mothhawk]

I don't see that point of drinking something you don't like just to use it up. When I'm given a gift of tea I don't like, it goes into the compost bin direct, without passing the teapot at all. Life's too short - chuck it and buy something nice, or make your own fruit/herb teas.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I'm convinced that blended teas taste different compared to singular teas. it's odd, but I can actually taste the difference Darjeeling for example, has a banana-y taste. It's fruity. I have to practice with the infuser. There are all these various approaches, you know, about whether you should use freshly boiled hot water, water that is post boiled. That when making a pot, you need a tsp per person and then the pot itself. I love tea shops. It's like being in a sweet shop.

[mothhawk]

The hotter the water, the more astringent and bitter the tea. If you take milk and sugar it probably doesn't matter so much, but if you drink it black and unsweetened as I do, it does. The amino acids that give tea its flavour and sweetness start to dissolve out at 60 degrees C, and the tannins that cause the astringency and bitterness at 80 degrees C, so to avoid that bitterness without having to add sugar and milk, let the water settle off the boil for a minute or two before using. And NEVER use boiling water on green tea!

[Potstubsdustbins]

The hotter the water, the more astringent and bitter the tea. If you take milk and sugar it probably doesn't matter so much, but if you drink it black and unsweetened as I do, it does. The amino acids that give tea its flavour and sweetness start to dissolve out at 60 degrees C, and the tannins that cause the astringency and bitterness at 80 degrees C, so to avoid that bitterness without having to add sugar and milk, let the water settle off the boil for a minute or two before using. And NEVER use boiling water on green tea!

Well you learn something new every say. I have always used boiling water and could never drink tea without milk. I am going to have to try it your way.

Colin

[horticultural_hobbit]

I've never used a mug based infuser, only the tea pot. will be interesting to see what happens with it.

What at the odds, that some one will be along shortly, with an idea as to how to read them...?

[northepaul]

I use Clipper everyday tea - lovely blend, very flavoursome without the over bitterness you get in some other teas, but it is rather pricey so only when its on offer - We also use Sainsburys red label.

At work I drink black tea without stuff in (as I would have to bring in my own soya milk and it seems to go off rather quickly there) and its actually quite nice.

[Two_Sheds]

Well you learn something new every say. I have always used boiling water

This was explained on R4 the other day, but I can't remember the ins and outs of why the English used boiling water ~ there was a particular reason. It's going to bug me all day now

[horticultural_hobbit]

two cups later, and I'm still standing....wait til later, and the rocket fuel kicks in...