How to Blend Tea at Home

Home tea blends can be unique, tasty alternative beverages.

From water to wine, there is a preferred libation to suit the palate of every individual. For many, tea is the beverage of choice. Served hot or cold, tea is a time-tested drink that seems to know no limits in taste, boldness or various incarnations. Although it is easy enough to buy at the grocery store, it is also possible to blend tea at home. With some basic instructions and a bit of imagination, you can concoct a homemade cup of your own unique tea blend. Does this Spark an idea?

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Preferred variety of teas
Hot water
Cups or containers

Instructions

- 1
  
  Choose your leaves. Similar to coffee, tea drinkers often prefer varying strengths of brew at corresponding parts of the day. Black teas are the strong in flavor, typically serving as a base tea for potent blends. Green and white teas possess a milder flavor, as both types of tea are unexposed to air as long as black tea. Oolong teas span a wide gamut of flavor and can have robust or docile flavors. Herbal teas are generally composed of fragrant herbs and leaves, such as peppermint.
- 2
  
  Heat the water. Water temperature and type are very important for the quality of the blend. Certain teas, like green and white, require lower temperatures and shorter steeping times than black tea. Additionally, depending on where you live, water texture can also affect your blend. Softer water evokes a fuller flavor from tea leaves, while harder water can dampen the flavor. If you reside in a hard-water area, you may consider an alternate water source or filter, or compensate with a slightly longer brewing period.
- 3
  
  Balance your brew. Because different types of tea require differing brew periods, you might want to experiment each particular brew before combining the teas at an appropriate time. This can be tricky, but fun. It is all a matter of calculated timing.
- 4
  
  Make sure to brew the herbal tea first if blending a green tea with an herbal tea, Use a countdown method to begin brewing the green tea as the herbal tea nears its maximum steeping time. When each brew reaches an optimum point, combine the teas.
- 5
  
  Enjoy your blend. Experimenting with various types of tea can yield wonderfully unique results. Due to a numerous amount of tea leaves and herbs, there are countless results of tea-blending. With enough practice, it is possible to master a particular brew that is perfect for you.