Looking for a healthy new drink? Green tea is where it’s at! Brewing and enjoying green tea is a cinch. But some perspective tea lovers may be wondering about how best to enjoy green tea.
For example how long to steep green tea or what kind of health benefits does green tea have? Keep reading to find out more!
How Long To Steep Green Tea
Some key things to brew excellent green tea include your water and time. Your water should ideally be purified or filtered water. When it comes to time- that is the brewing time- you should shoot for about 3 minutes.
Green tea leaves are hardier than white tea but softer than black so a median time of 3 minutes is key. Anything shorter may leave you with bland brews and anything longer may be too bitter and astringent.
Your teas quality also depends on whether you have chosen loose leaf tea or tea bags. The differences are pretty pronounced!
Loose-leaf Green Tea
This is the best option for enjoying tea. Loose leaf tea, whether it is green, white, black, or Oolong, will taste and smell better than most tea bags and tea sachets.
The aroma, flavor, and even health benefits are far more amplified and rich compared to tea bags. Loose leaves have a bigger surface area which gives them more longevity.
Their bigger surface area also allows them to unfurl and spread out in the water as they steep. This releases more flavor and even increases the levels of the good health benefits green tea offers.
Tea Bags
While tea bags are more convenient for brewing, they have some drawbacks. First, the leaves in tea bags or tea sachets are often filled with sweepings from the processing floor, twigs, and stems.
The leaves are smaller and so they go stale faster. Compared to loose leaf tea the flavor, color, and aroma of tea bag tea are usually staler, paler, and blander.
But no matter the type of green tea you are going with, the dangers of steeping for too long are there regardless.
Be certain to remove your tea from your water source or they will continue to infuse the water and turn it more and more bitter.
How to Brew and Steep Green Tea
To brew great green tea whether it is a loose-leaf or tea bag, be certain to use filtered or purified water. A good ratio to use is 6 ounces of water per 1 teaspoon of tea leaves or 1 tea bag.
- First, boil your water. A good temperature to use is 175 to 180 degrees.
- Use some water to preheat your kettle. You can discard the water or leave it in.
- Then, place your leaves or tea bags into your pot and pour in the water.
- Steep your tea for about 3 minutes.
- Now, enjoy your green tea. Be sure to remove your tea bag or strain your leaves. A special note here, though, is that loose leaf tea especially leaves from China, can be rebrewed a few times. This will lead to new and exciting flavors and aromas to enjoy. Still, be sure to remove them or pour out all the tea, otherwise, the tea will become bitter and astringent!
Health Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is a real powerhouse of health-enhancing properties. Let’s take a look at some of the keen health benefits of green tea.
- Caffeine – Helps keep us awake and alert. It also boosts our metabolism and helps us to burn calories.
- L-theanine – Amino acid that synergizes with caffeine to keep us calm and alert. It also keeps the nasty caffeine crash from occurring.
- Antioxidants – These great amino acids help combat oxidative stress and can help guard our bodies against the wear and tear of aging.
- Can potentially guard us against diseases and ailments – There are tons of studies on green tea and its positive effects on our health. Green tea may help prevent your chances of developing Parkinson’s, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
- Protects our organs – From our brains to our hearts, to our digestive tract!
Can You Steep Green Tea Too Long?
Like other teas in the tea family, green can be steeped too long. If your green tea is steeped for too long it will develop a bitter and astringent taste. To keep from steeping your leaves too long, be sure to strain your leaves or remove your tea bags.
What Ingredients Can I Add to Green Tea?
If you want to add a bit of pizazz to your tea, or perhaps you want to just get more creative, there are lots of great ingredients to add to make green tea delectable.
- Lemon
- Orange slices
- Lime
- Sugar
- Cream
- Milk
- Ginger
- Mint
Green tea also works great in blends and combinations. Feel free to mix some of the above ingredients (except for milk and citrus!) and try some of your own. Herbs from the garden synergize with green tea well, too.
Fresh Green
Green tea is too good to be true. It tastes great, smells great, and is filled with tons of health-promoting benefits. We hope you are no longer wondering “how long to steep green tea” or any other brewing questions. Instead, we hope you can get to brewing today!
The best way to discover what type of tea is best for you is to brew and sample as much as you can. So get out there, and try some tea.
Works Cited
- Gunnars, Kris. “10 Proven Benefits of Green Tea.” Healthline, 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea.
- “How to Brew Green Tea.” Kitchn, www.thekitchn.com/how-to-brew-green-tea-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203091.
- “How to Brew Green Tea.” Smith Teamaker, www.smithtea.com/pages/about-green-tea. Accessed 10 June 2022.
