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As you are reading this post today, I am happy to be snuggled up with a warm blanket at a blogging retreat in Park City, Utah. There is snow falling outside our door, good blogging friends are near, and I am happy to be nestling in for some much needed R&R.
I don’t know about you, but it seems like fall has gotten off to abusy start. Busy, busy, busy. Always a little more busy than I’d like. Always trying to work on that. I embarrassingly didn’t even realize that the leaves were changing in Kansas City until I saw it on Instagram!!
Still, the transition into fall is one of my absolute favorite times of the year, and I have been trying to take small moments during the day to pause and soak it up. I’ve learned that one of the small habits that seems to always help with this is to cozy up with a warm drink first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. There’s something about holding a steaming hot mug and then taking slow, thoughtful sips that is the essence of comfort and calm.
So today, I thought I would share with you a recipe for one of my favorite comfort drinks — homemade chai tea.
I first learned to love chai back in the day at — you guessed it — Starbucks. I instantly got hooked on the drink and all of those delicious spices, and began stopping by to order an iced chai almost every day for work. Then the $4 daily expense got a little ridiculous. So I learned to buy Tazo chai concentrate at the grocery store. Then (bonus!) I learned that it was sold even cheaper at Costco!
But after years of buying those mega 3-packs of concentrate, I began to get tired of theuber-sweetness of that brand of chai. I loved the spices, but the sugar was too much. So I finally learned how to make homemade chai.
My version is all based around making a chai concentrate so that you can refrigerate it and keep it around for multiple batches. All you need are a handful of spices and seasonings and about 20 minutes, and then you’ll have plenty of concentrate ready to make as much hot chai or iced chai as you’d like.
But the best part is that you can totally tweak the recipe according to your taste. If you really love the sweetness of the chai you get at Starbucks, by all means, add in more sugar and/or honey. If you like yours really peppery, add in more peppercorns. If you like yours really strong or really weak, that’s the joy of concentrate — you can control exactly how much flavor you get. Bottom line, everyone has their own preferences with chai, so with a homemade recipe you can make it your own!
With the holidays coming up, I’ll also add in that this is a perfect comfort food gift to jar up and give to your chai-loving friends.
Hope you enjoy!
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Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
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Make homemade chai tea with this delicious and simple chai tea concentrate recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
12 cardamom pods, gently crushed
8 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
4-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
4 cups water
4 cinnamon sticks
3 whole allspice (optional)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
2 star anise
1 vanilla bean, sliced down the middle
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
4 black tea bags
Instructions
Bring all ingredients except tea bags together to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer and reserve the liquid for concentrate, and let cool to room temperature.
Mix equal parts concentrate with water or milk to make chai tea. Or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.
To Make Hot Chai Tea:
Combine 1 part chai tea concentrate with 1 part water or milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.), and stir to combine. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Or heat in the microwave until simmering.
To Make Iced Chai Tea:
1 part water or milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.), and stir to combine. Serve over ice.
A freshly made hot cup of chai is spicy and aromatic, creamy and perfectly sweet. But iced chai is almost never all of those things. I'd noticed that when my hot cup of chai cools down while I'm drinking it, the spices and the sweetness just aren't as intense.
We also love using nut milks to create interesting flavor profiles, like chai tea lattes with almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk. Lastly, sweeten up your cuppa with honey or sugar, and sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top for a finishing touch.
Generally, this is somewhere between 200 and 212 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes. If your chai has a green tea base, it should be steeped at a lower temperature, somewhere around 170 to 190 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes.
Texture: Hot chai lattes have a creamy and comforting texture due to the addition of milk during the brewing process. The heat from the tea helps to meld the flavors together. On the other hand, iced chai lattes have a lighter and more refreshing texture, with the cold temperature providing a cooling effect.
It's often low in calories, making it a healthy substitute for sugary beverages such as hot cocoa or apple cider. Other potential benefits include: Lower blood pressure. The cinnamon in chai tea may prevent hypertension, especially in people with diabetes.
Chai is a complex blend of flavors characterized by a balance of bold black tea leaves and different spices. Without a doubt, the most powerful notes in a cup of chai are cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves.
You must use black tea which has the strength to hold its own with the spices--green tea won't do. Also, interestingly, chai must be sweetened to bring out the flavor of the spices - chai is not very good unless it is sweetened.
According to general guidelines, 3 grams of loose-leaf tea should be used per 8 ounces of water. Using too much tea can result in an imbalanced taste with excessive bitterness due to the over-extraction of tannins. On the other hand, using too little tea can lead to a weak and watery flavor.
The best way to check if it is done is to watch for the color. The tea should turn a nice brown color. If it's pale, it's not done. But make sure it doesn't boil for too long, or it might become too concentrated and taste bitter.
For chai blends with a black tea base, you want the water temperature to reach 200-212° and the steep time to be 3-5 minutes long. The steep times and temperatures will vary depending on the other types of tea leaves used.
Excessive chai consumption can sometimes lead to digestive discomfort for certain individuals. The strong compounds in tea, like tannins and caffeine, can irritate the stomach lining and lead to issues like acid reflux, indigestion, or an upset stomach.
Dirty chai is a popular espresso beverage made with tea or chai concentrate, one shot of espresso, and steamed milk. Unlike ordinary chai (masala chai) or sticky chai, the outcome is a blend of regular latte and chai. Spices frequently used in dirty chai are black pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Its higher fat content provides the perfect level of creaminess to balance out the soft yet spicy aroma of the fragrant masala chai mix. Masala chai is often traditionally made with full cream or sweet condensed milk – so this is an authentic and tasty way to enjoy a sweet, spicy chai.
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications. Product contains at least 95% organic material. USDA Organic is protected by law, inspected by experts, traced from farm to store, and shaped by public input.
Chai tea can also help you get over a cold. Not only does the classic chai blend contain antioxidants that may help fight infections and viral illnesses, but these antioxidants can give a boost to your immune system, soothe headaches, reduce nausea, clear the sinuses, and more.
The spices in chaach are excellent digestive aids that prevent indigestion and excessive burping. Yoghurt is loaded with probiotics, which encourage the growth of healthy gut flora which helps improve everything — from your digestion to your immunity — even in winter.
Add 1 1/2 tsp loose leaf Chico Chai (any blend) for every cup of water in the container.Put the lid on and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, strain out the tea and enjoy!
Bacterial growth: Germs like fungus and bacteria thrive in leftover tea, leading to potential health hazards. 2. Food poisoning risks: Bacteria in tea, particularly milk tea, multiply rapidly between 41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Reheating won't eliminate them, and milk tea may taste unpleasant with a grainy texture.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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