Friends of the Parlor,
Throw away those tea bags! If ever one could get a low opinion of tea, it would be because of the use of tea bags. Do you know that tea bags only contain the dust of tea leaves, the absolute dregs? Yes, I mean dust, literally.
Below, you will find instructions for making tea that even coffee drinkers will enjoy and the items you will need to make and serve it.
*Whistling tea kettle
*English teapot
*Loose-leaf tea
*Tea cozy
*Tea strainer and rest
*Tea cups (set of 4-6)
*Spoon and spoon rests
*Lemon, cream, and sugar
First, you must warm your teapot by pouring in hot water and letting it sit. Meanwhile, bring your tea water to a boil in the kettle. Do not allow it to boil for long, but get it off the stove as soon as you hear the whistle.
A note on teapots, forget the Lenox china. Buy a sturdy, English "Brown Betty." I recommend this teapot because it does not drip when you pour it (and it is a small hell trying to get tea stains out of linens).
Another aside, I pray to God you have filtered water at your house. There is hardly a thing more disturbing than the smell of chlorine wafting off a cup of tea!
Now, get out your loose-leaf tea. I suggest you experiment with teas because there are so many and many very fine teas. There are, sadly, very few tea merchants, but look around. I have come upon a very favorite tea over time. It is Taylors of Harrogate "Yorkshire Tea." The blend is a secret, but it is evident that it is a mixture of the finest Indian black teas. It is highly aromatic and strong, and a tea that coffee drinkers will not pass up.
Pour the water out of your teapot that was left there to warm it, and add one heaping teaspoon of loose tea per cup to be served, plus one heaping teaspoon for the pot. Then you pour your hot kettle water into the teapot, put the cozy on, and let the tea leaves brew for about five minutes.
A tea cozy is an insulated cover for your teapot, made of cotton and cotton batting. It keeps your teapot warm while the tea is brewing. Actually, I keep the teapot covered with the cozy until tea time is over since tea cannot be left on heat to stay warm, like coffee.
While your tea is brewing, it is a good time to set your table. Put out the cups, spoons, spoon rests, linens, and the slices of lemon, cream and sugar.
As another aside, I do not use tea balls. In my experience, it takes more tea leaves for a good pot of tea than there is room in a tea ball. If you try to cram all that tea into the tea ball, there is not enough room for water to flow through the tea leaves in order for them to expand and steep properly. Instead, I use a tea strainer as I serve.
And that is the last step: pour, using a strainer, into each cup. I prefer cream and sugar with this particular tea, but always allow room for a guest's preference for lemon.
With this tea, I like to serve warm scones with a fruit preserve and clotted cream. Maybe in the future, I will post the elements that go into creating an English "high tea."
See you in the parlor,
LongstreetLass
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