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-   -   Resteeping? (https://www.foodbanter.com/tea/54653-resteeping.html)

Ole Kvaal 21-02-2005 08:25 PM

Resteeping?
 
Hi.
Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
resteeping, and which do not?

ole k

Bluesea 21-02-2005 08:50 PM


"Ole Kvaal" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
> resteeping, and which do not?


I do greens and whites 3x or more.

Someone posted here a few months ago about infusing Assam more than once,
but I don't have any personal experience with that, other blacks, or
oolongs.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



elgoog 21-02-2005 09:59 PM

>From http://todd-holland.com/universitea/brewing.asp

Black Tea
Water Temperature 212 F
Infusion Time 3 to 5 Minutes
No. of Infusions Most Only Once

Green Tea
Water Temperature 185 F
Infusion Time 2 Minutes
No. of Infusions Two or Three

Semi-Black Tea
Water Temperature 185 F
Infusion Time 2 to 7 Minutes
No. of Infusions Three to Ten

White Tea
Water Temperature 175 F to 185 F
Infusion Time 2 to 3 Minutes
No. of Infusions Many


My personal experience with green teas is a lower temperature than
shown above, longer infusion time of 3 minutes and 3 to 4 infusions. I
think each tea is different, and when it comes to multiple infusions,
you probably just have to try it and don't be afraid to throw it out if
it fails to satisfy.


Derek 21-02-2005 10:37 PM

On 21 Feb 2005 12:59:16 -0800, elgoog wrote:

> Semi-Black Tea


Oh, bother. Their "semi-black" category contains 3 groups of oolongs
and a collection of Jasmines of various types.

I'm sorry. But white tea scented with Jasmine is anything but
"semi-black." They should put their Jasmines in with their blends and
call their oolongs by what they are rather than creating an screwed up
category.

--
Derek

"An honor is not diminished for being shared." -- Lois McMaster
Bujold, "Shards of Honor", 1986

Serendip 21-02-2005 10:57 PM

On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
> Hi.
> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
> resteeping, and which do not?
>
> ole k


I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!






Bluesea 22-02-2005 01:49 AM


"Serendip" > wrote in message
...
> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
> > Hi.
> > Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
> > resteeping, and which do not?
> >
> > ole k

>
> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!


But, wasn't that poor quality black tea in teabags while you're now into
higher quality loose teas and using more tea for more people? I suggest that
you at least try to get over your aversion to multiple infusions of any sort
because there's still a whole lot of excellent flavor in my green and white
teas.

Just a thought.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Melinda 22-02-2005 01:54 AM

Wow! My heartfelt condolences! :( Was this during the War years or during
the depression? Or were your family just *very* thrifty?

Ye gods, I can't imagine multiple cups of tea out of a Lipton teabag...one's
bad enough..: P

Melinda

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Serendip" > wrote in message
...
> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>> Hi.
>> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>> resteeping, and which do not?
>>
>> ole k

>
> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!
>
>
>
>
>




Serendip 22-02-2005 02:14 AM

On 2/21/2005 7:54 PM, Melinda wrote:
> Wow! My heartfelt condolences! :( Was this during the War years or during
> the depression? Or were your family just *very* thrifty?
>
> Ye gods, I can't imagine multiple cups of tea out of a Lipton teabag...one's
> bad enough..: P
>
> Melinda


Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.
But yes... it's amazing that I don't have a total aversion to tea!!

Serendip 22-02-2005 02:16 AM

On 2/21/2005 7:49 PM, Bluesea wrote:
> "Serendip" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>> > Hi.
>> > Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>> > resteeping, and which do not?
>> >
>> > ole k

>>
>> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
>> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
>> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
>> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
>> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
>> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
>> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
>> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
>> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
>> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!

>
> But, wasn't that poor quality black tea in teabags while you're now into
> higher quality loose teas and using more tea for more people? I suggest that
> you at least try to get over your aversion to multiple infusions of any sort
> because there's still a whole lot of excellent flavor in my green and white
> teas.
>
> Just a thought.


My samples are all black teas, so it's not a worry, yet. :)

I promise to consider it once I branch out from black teas! (And yes,
when I used teabags, it was always one per person, and then a new one.)

DPM 22-02-2005 02:19 AM


"Ole Kvaal" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
> resteeping, and which do not?
>
> ole k


My general rule is that the larger the leaf, the more infusions you can get,
and this is true (to a point) regardless of the oxidation level. I have
whole-leaf oolongs that can produce 3 or 4 good infusions, and a golden
yunnan black that produces at least 2.

Regards,
Dean



Bluesea 22-02-2005 09:47 AM


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
>
> Ye gods, I can't imagine multiple cups of tea out of a Lipton

teabag...one's
> bad enough..: P


The very thought makes me want to heave.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Bluesea 22-02-2005 09:47 AM


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
>
> Ye gods, I can't imagine multiple cups of tea out of a Lipton

teabag...one's
> bad enough..: P


The very thought makes me want to heave.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Bluesea 22-02-2005 09:59 AM


"Serendip" > wrote in message
...
>
> Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
> only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
> teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.


Do you happen to know why/how she developed such a belief? I'm so
flavor-oriented, and so is everyone else I've run across, that I can't
comprehend the concept. Even in England, way back when, poor people would
use a lot of milk to save on the expense of tea but I never got the
impression that they reused tea over and over again. In China, though,
sometimes it got to the point where a poor family could only offer hot water
as "tea" to a guest.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Space Cowboy 22-02-2005 02:20 PM

The more expensive the tea the more it can be resteeped or so goes the
pitch you see on the websites. The bottom line the first cup always
taste the best. Even if I did believe there is after taste in the
gongfu method I'd still use a one litter pot and be done with it. You
get a better taste with saturation than filtration. In general blacks
can't be reused but anything else can. The problem with
generalizations it doesn't account for the Ceylon OP which can take
multiple short infusions or a CTC where infusion is immediate and can
take it once or twice more. Even I will hit the pot a second time but
it's because I'm lazy. I have some oolongs that take 5 minutes to
unfurl even at boiling temperature. If I use temperatures less than
that I can start my own episodes of 24. So I hit those several times
because I know they can take it. Multiple infusions is a function of
Western and Asian styles and knowing how your tea tastes in a pot.

Jim

Ole Kvaal wrote:
> Hi.
> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
> resteeping, and which do not?
>
> ole k



Serendip 23-02-2005 02:09 AM

On 2/22/2005 3:59 AM, Bluesea wrote:
> "Serendip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
>> only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
>> teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.

>
> Do you happen to know why/how she developed such a belief? I'm so
> flavor-oriented, and so is everyone else I've run across, that I can't
> comprehend the concept. Even in England, way back when, poor people would
> use a lot of milk to save on the expense of tea but I never got the
> impression that they reused tea over and over again. In China, though,
> sometimes it got to the point where a poor family could only offer hot water
> as "tea" to a guest.


Nope, not a clue... so I called my mother.

Once she stopped laughing, realizing I wasn't asking her for the little
glass jar, she said, "don't you remember what Grandma did with tea?"

Well, of course I did! She would add a little bit of honey for me, and
then pour the tea back and forth from one cup to another, until the
temperature was just right. Heaven forbid I do something like *wait* for
the tea to cool down! I was always transfixed by the jumping tea - she
never lost a drop.

So Mom said, "yes, but do you remember what she did before that?"

Not a clue. So she told me the story.

My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
told. She was concerned she'd forget to look at the clock, and it
wouldn't be the same each time. So, she'd boil water, put a teabag in a
cup, add the water. Empty the kettle, put up new water to boil. Once
that boiled, she'd take out the teabag from the cup, dump the tea, wash
the cup, and make a new cup of tea. Each and every time.

By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better. (How I wish I
could ask her if she knew about homeopathy and tinctures!)

She wasn't thrifty, simply misguided.

Needless to say, I will now embrace resteeping, and probably get a bit
teary-eyed each time.

Bluesea 23-02-2005 05:41 AM


"Serendip" > wrote in message
...
>
> My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
> caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
> decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
> it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
> caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
> told.


Yes, because caffeine is so highly water-soluble, up to 80% is released into
the water in the first 30 secs. of steeping, although there isn't an
appreciable gain in going past 45 secs. The technique of do-it-yourself
decaffeination has been discussed in rfdt before.

> By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
> then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better.


I recall hearing that that type of reasoning used to be prevalent: If one is
good, then two is twice as good, and three is 3x as good...

> Needless to say, I will now embrace resteeping, and probably get a bit
> teary-eyed each time.


Yes, it's a good story. Thank you for sharing it.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Serendip 23-02-2005 03:21 PM

On 2/22/2005 11:41 PM, Bluesea wrote:
> "Serendip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
>> caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
>> decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
>> it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
>> caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
>> told.

>
> Yes, because caffeine is so highly water-soluble, up to 80% is released into
> the water in the first 30 secs. of steeping, although there isn't an
> appreciable gain in going past 45 secs. The technique of do-it-yourself
> decaffeination has been discussed in rfdt before.


Sorry - didn't think to search before posting. Good to know, though, if
I need decaf tea.

>> By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
>> then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better.

>
> I recall hearing that that type of reasoning used to be prevalent: If one is
> good, then two is twice as good, and three is 3x as good...


And why I now know she was merely misguided, and meant well, as she was
serving lousy tea! But, I'm still not going that far with repeated
infusions.

Side note: Upton tea is in the mail! I realized it's my fault the CD
tray delivery didn't work - I should have skipped the personalized
labels. Next time...

Bluesea 24-02-2005 07:50 PM


"Serendip" > wrote in message
...
> On 2/22/2005 11:41 PM, Bluesea wrote:
>
> Side note: Upton tea is in the mail! I realized it's my fault the CD
> tray delivery didn't work - I should have skipped the personalized
> labels. Next time...


:D

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



danube 26-02-2005 06:00 PM


> Someone posted here a few months ago about infusing Assam more than once,
> but I don't have any personal experience with that, other blacks, or
> oolongs.


Some Assams take re-steeping: I have one Hattialli here which has a
glorious aroma, even after the second steep. I steep twice with this tea
in the evening, the second steep does not add any caffeine.

JB

Bluesea 28-02-2005 03:49 PM

Thanks.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"danube" > wrote in message
et...
>
> > Someone posted here a few months ago about infusing Assam more than

once,
> > but I don't have any personal experience with that, other blacks, or
> > oolongs.

>
> Some Assams take re-steeping: I have one Hattialli here which has a
> glorious aroma, even after the second steep. I steep twice with this tea
> in the evening, the second steep does not add any caffeine.
>
> JB




Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:29 PM

2/21/05


>> From
http://todd-holland.com/universitea/brewing.asp
>
> Black Tea
> Water Temperature 212 F
> Infusion Time 3 to 5 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Most Only Once
>
> Green Tea
> Water Temperature 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Two or Three
>
> Semi-Black Tea
> Water Temperature 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 to 7 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Three to Ten
>
> White Tea
> Water Temperature 175 F to 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 to 3 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Many
>
>
> My personal experience with green teas is a lower temperature than
> shown above, longer infusion time of 3 minutes and 3 to 4 infusions. I
> think each tea is different, and when it comes to multiple infusions,
> you probably just have to try it and don't be afraid to throw it out if
> it fails to satisfy.
>




Hi,

I agree with you. Those temperatures are much too high for greens and
whites. They would lead to bitter tea, and a second steep would be difficult
to achieve. More tea, quicker steeps, and lower temperatures should yield
fine multiple steeps for greens. Grassy is not a quality you want from the
subsequent steeps of a long jing you paid a dollar (USC) a gram for.

To resteep greens, remember that the initial steep opens the leaves rather
quickly and can be fairly quick. But, for the second steep, the leaves are
already open and ready to release their stuff, so a nearly instantaneous
steep would yield fine results without bitterness. (I use half as many grams
of tea as there will be ounces of water for starters.)

Michael


Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:29 PM

2/21/05


>> From
http://todd-holland.com/universitea/brewing.asp
>
> Black Tea
> Water Temperature 212 F
> Infusion Time 3 to 5 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Most Only Once
>
> Green Tea
> Water Temperature 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Two or Three
>
> Semi-Black Tea
> Water Temperature 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 to 7 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Three to Ten
>
> White Tea
> Water Temperature 175 F to 185 F
> Infusion Time 2 to 3 Minutes
> No. of Infusions Many
>
>
> My personal experience with green teas is a lower temperature than
> shown above, longer infusion time of 3 minutes and 3 to 4 infusions. I
> think each tea is different, and when it comes to multiple infusions,
> you probably just have to try it and don't be afraid to throw it out if
> it fails to satisfy.
>




Hi,

I agree with you. Those temperatures are much too high for greens and
whites. They would lead to bitter tea, and a second steep would be difficult
to achieve. More tea, quicker steeps, and lower temperatures should yield
fine multiple steeps for greens. Grassy is not a quality you want from the
subsequent steeps of a long jing you paid a dollar (USC) a gram for.

To resteep greens, remember that the initial steep opens the leaves rather
quickly and can be fairly quick. But, for the second steep, the leaves are
already open and ready to release their stuff, so a nearly instantaneous
steep would yield fine results without bitterness. (I use half as many grams
of tea as there will be ounces of water for starters.)

Michael


Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:34 PM

2/21/05


> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>> Hi.
>> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>> resteeping, and which do not?
>>
>> ole k

>
> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!



How about if you paid 100 smackaroos for that teabag? I say dunk dunk dunk.
I'll bet your grandmother used the three dunk rule for the first steep of
the teabag's journey to its second job teaing stains. The really important
question is, did your grandmother squeeze the teabag -- I just mistyped and
produced the word "teabog," but that's a story for another day -- or did she
gingerly place the dripping teabag on the saucer beside the cup? The answer
to this question will help us help you resolve your second steep issue.

Hope this helps.

Michael



Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:34 PM

2/21/05


> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>> Hi.
>> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>> resteeping, and which do not?
>>
>> ole k

>
> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!



How about if you paid 100 smackaroos for that teabag? I say dunk dunk dunk.
I'll bet your grandmother used the three dunk rule for the first steep of
the teabag's journey to its second job teaing stains. The really important
question is, did your grandmother squeeze the teabag -- I just mistyped and
produced the word "teabog," but that's a story for another day -- or did she
gingerly place the dripping teabag on the saucer beside the cup? The answer
to this question will help us help you resolve your second steep issue.

Hope this helps.

Michael



Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:37 PM

2/21/05

> Wow! My heartfelt condolences! :( Was this during the War years or during
> the depression? Or were your family just *very* thrifty?
>
> Ye gods, I can't imagine multiple cups of tea out of a Lipton teabag...one's
> bad enough..: P
>
> Melinda


My Mom did the same thing. It was the prosperous 50's. But, she had lived
through the depression, which left its mark. Melinda, your prejudice against
the lowly teabag is showing. Could this be a deep seated anger directed at
the working classes out of which I proudly hail, possibly but not probably
explaining why I can't spell.

Michael


Michael Plant 02-03-2005 12:42 PM

2/22/05


> On 2/22/2005 3:59 AM, Bluesea wrote:
>> "Serendip" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
>>> only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
>>> teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.

>>
>> Do you happen to know why/how she developed such a belief? I'm so
>> flavor-oriented, and so is everyone else I've run across, that I can't
>> comprehend the concept. Even in England, way back when, poor people would
>> use a lot of milk to save on the expense of tea but I never got the
>> impression that they reused tea over and over again. In China, though,
>> sometimes it got to the point where a poor family could only offer hot water
>> as "tea" to a guest.

>
> Nope, not a clue... so I called my mother.
>
> Once she stopped laughing, realizing I wasn't asking her for the little
> glass jar, she said, "don't you remember what Grandma did with tea?"
>
> Well, of course I did! She would add a little bit of honey for me, and
> then pour the tea back and forth from one cup to another, until the
> temperature was just right. Heaven forbid I do something like *wait* for
> the tea to cool down! I was always transfixed by the jumping tea - she
> never lost a drop.
>
> So Mom said, "yes, but do you remember what she did before that?"
>
> Not a clue. So she told me the story.
>
> My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
> caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
> decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
> it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
> caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
> told. She was concerned she'd forget to look at the clock, and it
> wouldn't be the same each time. So, she'd boil water, put a teabag in a
> cup, add the water. Empty the kettle, put up new water to boil. Once
> that boiled, she'd take out the teabag from the cup, dump the tea, wash
> the cup, and make a new cup of tea. Each and every time.
>
> By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
> then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better. (How I wish I
> could ask her if she knew about homeopathy and tinctures!)
>
> She wasn't thrifty, simply misguided.
>
> Needless to say, I will now embrace resteeping, and probably get a bit
> teary-eyed each time.


*I'm* getting teqry-eyed. That was beautiful. I'm touched.

Michel


Serendip 02-03-2005 05:07 PM

On 3/2/2005 6:34 AM, Michael Plant wrote:
> 2/21/05
>
>
>> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>>> resteeping, and which do not?
>>>
>>> ole k

>>
>> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
>> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
>> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
>> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
>> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
>> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
>> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
>> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
>> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
>> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!

>
>
> How about if you paid 100 smackaroos for that teabag? I say dunk dunk dunk.
> I'll bet your grandmother used the three dunk rule for the first steep of
> the teabag's journey to its second job teaing stains. The really important
> question is, did your grandmother squeeze the teabag -- I just mistyped and
> produced the word "teabog," but that's a story for another day -- or did she
> gingerly place the dripping teabag on the saucer beside the cup? The answer
> to this question will help us help you resolve your second steep issue.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Michael



LOL - yes, the teabag was always dunked, again and again and again. And
yes, squeezed... the teabag was put in a spoon, and the string wrapped
around the spoon and bag. The bag was never sloshing around on a plate!

Resa

Serendip 02-03-2005 05:07 PM

On 3/2/2005 6:34 AM, Michael Plant wrote:
> 2/21/05
>
>
>> On 2/21/2005 2:25 PM, Ole Kvaal wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>> Are there any general rules for which teas may benefit (or tolerate)
>>> resteeping, and which do not?
>>>
>>> ole k

>>
>> I can't get myself to even consider this. Growing up, we had teabags -
>> Tetley, Lipton, whatever. How ever many people were having tea - that's
>> how many cups you got out of that one teabag. The teabag was put into a
>> little covered glass canister, and into the refrigerator, where it would
>> stay until it was used again and again. When people would no longer
>> consider using it for drinking tea, my grandmother would save it, in
>> case she needed to "tea" a stained tablecloth, napkin, etc. Even as a
>> child, I would refuse tea unless I was given a new teabag; happy to
>> share with everyone, but I wanted a new tea bag! I don't think I could
>> ever get past this enough to have multiple infusions!

>
>
> How about if you paid 100 smackaroos for that teabag? I say dunk dunk dunk.
> I'll bet your grandmother used the three dunk rule for the first steep of
> the teabag's journey to its second job teaing stains. The really important
> question is, did your grandmother squeeze the teabag -- I just mistyped and
> produced the word "teabog," but that's a story for another day -- or did she
> gingerly place the dripping teabag on the saucer beside the cup? The answer
> to this question will help us help you resolve your second steep issue.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Michael



LOL - yes, the teabag was always dunked, again and again and again. And
yes, squeezed... the teabag was put in a spoon, and the string wrapped
around the spoon and bag. The bag was never sloshing around on a plate!

Resa

Serendip 02-03-2005 05:08 PM

On 3/2/2005 6:42 AM, Michael Plant wrote:
> 2/22/05
>
>
>> On 2/22/2005 3:59 AM, Bluesea wrote:
>>> "Serendip" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
>>>> only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
>>>> teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.
>>>
>>> Do you happen to know why/how she developed such a belief? I'm so
>>> flavor-oriented, and so is everyone else I've run across, that I can't
>>> comprehend the concept. Even in England, way back when, poor people would
>>> use a lot of milk to save on the expense of tea but I never got the
>>> impression that they reused tea over and over again. In China, though,
>>> sometimes it got to the point where a poor family could only offer hot water
>>> as "tea" to a guest.

>>
>> Nope, not a clue... so I called my mother.
>>
>> Once she stopped laughing, realizing I wasn't asking her for the little
>> glass jar, she said, "don't you remember what Grandma did with tea?"
>>
>> Well, of course I did! She would add a little bit of honey for me, and
>> then pour the tea back and forth from one cup to another, until the
>> temperature was just right. Heaven forbid I do something like *wait* for
>> the tea to cool down! I was always transfixed by the jumping tea - she
>> never lost a drop.
>>
>> So Mom said, "yes, but do you remember what she did before that?"
>>
>> Not a clue. So she told me the story.
>>
>> My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
>> caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
>> decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
>> it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
>> caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
>> told. She was concerned she'd forget to look at the clock, and it
>> wouldn't be the same each time. So, she'd boil water, put a teabag in a
>> cup, add the water. Empty the kettle, put up new water to boil. Once
>> that boiled, she'd take out the teabag from the cup, dump the tea, wash
>> the cup, and make a new cup of tea. Each and every time.
>>
>> By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
>> then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better. (How I wish I
>> could ask her if she knew about homeopathy and tinctures!)
>>
>> She wasn't thrifty, simply misguided.
>>
>> Needless to say, I will now embrace resteeping, and probably get a bit
>> teary-eyed each time.

>
> *I'm* getting teqry-eyed. That was beautiful. I'm touched.
>
> Michel


Thanks. I still haven't gotten any tea to be resteeped, but...

Resa

Serendip 02-03-2005 05:08 PM

On 3/2/2005 6:42 AM, Michael Plant wrote:
> 2/22/05
>
>
>> On 2/22/2005 3:59 AM, Bluesea wrote:
>>> "Serendip" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> Vietnam War, but I don't think that's what you meant. My grandmother was
>>>> only "thrifty" when it came to teabags - she just didn't think that a
>>>> teabag was "done" as long as there was any coloring power left in it.
>>>
>>> Do you happen to know why/how she developed such a belief? I'm so
>>> flavor-oriented, and so is everyone else I've run across, that I can't
>>> comprehend the concept. Even in England, way back when, poor people would
>>> use a lot of milk to save on the expense of tea but I never got the
>>> impression that they reused tea over and over again. In China, though,
>>> sometimes it got to the point where a poor family could only offer hot water
>>> as "tea" to a guest.

>>
>> Nope, not a clue... so I called my mother.
>>
>> Once she stopped laughing, realizing I wasn't asking her for the little
>> glass jar, she said, "don't you remember what Grandma did with tea?"
>>
>> Well, of course I did! She would add a little bit of honey for me, and
>> then pour the tea back and forth from one cup to another, until the
>> temperature was just right. Heaven forbid I do something like *wait* for
>> the tea to cool down! I was always transfixed by the jumping tea - she
>> never lost a drop.
>>
>> So Mom said, "yes, but do you remember what she did before that?"
>>
>> Not a clue. So she told me the story.
>>
>> My grandfather always had severe GI issues, and could not tolerate
>> caffeine. They had always had Sanka for coffee, but they couldn't find
>> decaffeinated tea. The doctor suggested she make very strong tea, dump
>> it out, and then use that teabag in new water - it would remove the
>> caffeine. Whether it's true or not I don't know, but that's what she was
>> told. She was concerned she'd forget to look at the clock, and it
>> wouldn't be the same each time. So, she'd boil water, put a teabag in a
>> cup, add the water. Empty the kettle, put up new water to boil. Once
>> that boiled, she'd take out the teabag from the cup, dump the tea, wash
>> the cup, and make a new cup of tea. Each and every time.
>>
>> By her reasoning, if the second cup was "better" for you than the first,
>> then the 3rd, 6th, 8th, had to have been even better. (How I wish I
>> could ask her if she knew about homeopathy and tinctures!)
>>
>> She wasn't thrifty, simply misguided.
>>
>> Needless to say, I will now embrace resteeping, and probably get a bit
>> teary-eyed each time.

>
> *I'm* getting teqry-eyed. That was beautiful. I'm touched.
>
> Michel


Thanks. I still haven't gotten any tea to be resteeped, but...

Resa

elgoog 02-03-2005 06:56 PM

Michael Plant wrote:
<<snip>>
> To resteep greens, remember that the initial steep opens the leaves

rather
> quickly and can be fairly quick. But, for the second steep, the

leaves are
> already open and ready to release their stuff, so a nearly

instantaneous
> steep would yield fine results without bitterness. (I use half as

many grams
> of tea as there will be ounces of water for starters.)
>
> Michael


What? Remember, I'm still learning and new to this. You are saying that
the subsequent infusions should be shorter than the first? If anything,
I've been doing just the opposite usually exending subsequent steep
times slightly. Am I doing this wrong? Will I get better results by
shortening my subsequent infusions.

BTW: I have been testing for bitterness and learned the breaking point
for my teas. I don't have a problem with bitterness on multiple
infusions - or if I do, I don't use that tea for multiple infusions.


elgoog 02-03-2005 06:56 PM

Michael Plant wrote:
<<snip>>
> To resteep greens, remember that the initial steep opens the leaves

rather
> quickly and can be fairly quick. But, for the second steep, the

leaves are
> already open and ready to release their stuff, so a nearly

instantaneous
> steep would yield fine results without bitterness. (I use half as

many grams
> of tea as there will be ounces of water for starters.)
>
> Michael


What? Remember, I'm still learning and new to this. You are saying that
the subsequent infusions should be shorter than the first? If anything,
I've been doing just the opposite usually exending subsequent steep
times slightly. Am I doing this wrong? Will I get better results by
shortening my subsequent infusions.

BTW: I have been testing for bitterness and learned the breaking point
for my teas. I don't have a problem with bitterness on multiple
infusions - or if I do, I don't use that tea for multiple infusions.


Melinda 02-03-2005 10:19 PM



>
> My Mom did the same thing. It was the prosperous 50's. But, she had lived
> through the depression, which left its mark. Melinda, your prejudice
> against
> the lowly teabag is showing. Could this be a deep seated anger directed at
> the working classes out of which I proudly hail, possibly but not probably
> explaining why I can't spell.
>
> Michael
>


Michael, your upper class intelligencia prejudice is showing...you can't
spell because you're lower class? Is that only because you're a member of
the people? Remember our Cuban comrads used to read books to each other in
the factories....;)

Nah...I liked Lipton decaf (I assume that's what it was...it was in the
green box, which then came to mean green tea, which is what I always called
it...but I'm not sure that it was green tea, I think it might have been
decaf) with plenty of milk and sugar when I was young. And when I wasn't
drinking coffee. (I used to get some good coffee when I was little...which
is probably why I'm so blasted short...). I don't think I was drinking the
tea at that point for the tea, if you get my drift...I'm sure the sugar
content probably had something to do with it.

I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there for
so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P

Melinda, nuking a leftover cup of Bargang for morning tea...STILL lightyears
ahead of an American cardboard box teabag



Melinda 02-03-2005 10:19 PM



>
> My Mom did the same thing. It was the prosperous 50's. But, she had lived
> through the depression, which left its mark. Melinda, your prejudice
> against
> the lowly teabag is showing. Could this be a deep seated anger directed at
> the working classes out of which I proudly hail, possibly but not probably
> explaining why I can't spell.
>
> Michael
>


Michael, your upper class intelligencia prejudice is showing...you can't
spell because you're lower class? Is that only because you're a member of
the people? Remember our Cuban comrads used to read books to each other in
the factories....;)

Nah...I liked Lipton decaf (I assume that's what it was...it was in the
green box, which then came to mean green tea, which is what I always called
it...but I'm not sure that it was green tea, I think it might have been
decaf) with plenty of milk and sugar when I was young. And when I wasn't
drinking coffee. (I used to get some good coffee when I was little...which
is probably why I'm so blasted short...). I don't think I was drinking the
tea at that point for the tea, if you get my drift...I'm sure the sugar
content probably had something to do with it.

I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there for
so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P

Melinda, nuking a leftover cup of Bargang for morning tea...STILL lightyears
ahead of an American cardboard box teabag



Bluesea 02-03-2005 10:28 PM


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there for
> so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P


We really do need to spread the word. Last week, through an email exchange
with a former neighbor, I mentioned converting another neighbor from teabags
to loose tea and the response I got back was:

"So you have to tell me about the tea. I didn't know you could even make it
w/o a bag"

<sigh>

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Bluesea 02-03-2005 10:28 PM


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there for
> so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P


We really do need to spread the word. Last week, through an email exchange
with a former neighbor, I mentioned converting another neighbor from teabags
to loose tea and the response I got back was:

"So you have to tell me about the tea. I didn't know you could even make it
w/o a bag"

<sigh>

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Melinda 02-03-2005 10:47 PM

I know what you mean Bluesea, but I'm getting funny looks from people when I
go on and on about tea....my nurse at the clinic the other day asked about
green tea and I gave her a couple of web pages and recomendations on how to
steep...but it almost felt like it was too much to even tell her that. I got
a Teeli filter and a few random samples for my neighbor for Christmas and
haven't heard a thing. I gave a sample of teas to a friend in another city
and haven't heard a thing back. And I gave some flavored rooibos (not for
everyone I know...I take it in small doses) to another aquaintence and never
heard anything about it every again. Part of me is wondering if people are
either just too spoiled with getting lattes made for them or coffee made for
them in a pot, or if they're just too busy to care.

My husband is calling me a "Tea-vangelist", lol. I do try to preach it...

Melinda

P.S. I guess one really irritating thing for me is that so many people are
going for green tea now because it's "healthy" and totally missing the "tea"
part. It makes me feel like their "using" green tea and then they're gonna
turn it out of the house the next morning....ya know?

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Bluesea" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Melinda" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there
>> for
>> so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P

>
> We really do need to spread the word. Last week, through an email exchange
> with a former neighbor, I mentioned converting another neighbor from
> teabags
> to loose tea and the response I got back was:
>
> "So you have to tell me about the tea. I didn't know you could even make
> it
> w/o a bag"
>
> <sigh>
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~
> Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
> Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.
>
>




Melinda 02-03-2005 10:47 PM

I know what you mean Bluesea, but I'm getting funny looks from people when I
go on and on about tea....my nurse at the clinic the other day asked about
green tea and I gave her a couple of web pages and recomendations on how to
steep...but it almost felt like it was too much to even tell her that. I got
a Teeli filter and a few random samples for my neighbor for Christmas and
haven't heard a thing. I gave a sample of teas to a friend in another city
and haven't heard a thing back. And I gave some flavored rooibos (not for
everyone I know...I take it in small doses) to another aquaintence and never
heard anything about it every again. Part of me is wondering if people are
either just too spoiled with getting lattes made for them or coffee made for
them in a pot, or if they're just too busy to care.

My husband is calling me a "Tea-vangelist", lol. I do try to preach it...

Melinda

P.S. I guess one really irritating thing for me is that so many people are
going for green tea now because it's "healthy" and totally missing the "tea"
part. It makes me feel like their "using" green tea and then they're gonna
turn it out of the house the next morning....ya know?

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Bluesea" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Melinda" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I'm just mad that I didn't realize that there was better tea out there
>> for
>> so long...::sob:: so many years wasted...:P

>
> We really do need to spread the word. Last week, through an email exchange
> with a former neighbor, I mentioned converting another neighbor from
> teabags
> to loose tea and the response I got back was:
>
> "So you have to tell me about the tea. I didn't know you could even make
> it
> w/o a bag"
>
> <sigh>
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~
> Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
> Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.
>
>




Bluesea 03-03-2005 08:50 AM


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
> I know what you mean Bluesea, but I'm getting funny looks from people when

I
> go on and on about tea....my nurse at the clinic the other day asked about
> green tea and I gave her a couple of web pages and recomendations on how

to
> steep...but it almost felt like it was too much to even tell her that.


Could you brew her a cup? My recently converted-from-teabags neighbor
thought it was going to be all complicated and that she'd have to buy a
bunch of equipment, but I gave her an instant-read thermometer and an Ekco
strainer from Wal-Mart along with samples of what I have on hand and told
her to use any clean pot for boiling water and her Pyrex measuring cup to
steep and she was off and running when she realized it wasn't going to be a
major project. Maybe your nurse is similarily intimidated by the mystique of
loose tea and only needs a convincer like watching how easy it is to make
and tasting the great results.

> I got
> a Teeli filter and a few random samples for my neighbor for Christmas and
> haven't heard a thing. I gave a sample of teas to a friend in another city
> and haven't heard a thing back. And I gave some flavored rooibos (not for
> everyone I know...I take it in small doses) to another aquaintence and

never
> heard anything about it every again. Part of me is wondering if people are
> either just too spoiled with getting lattes made for them or coffee made

for
> them in a pot, or if they're just too busy to care.


Are these already tea people? I've tried to convert only one who wasn't
already into supermarket teabags and I never heard back from him about the
samples I sent.

OTOH, I gave an avowed green tea-drinker a bunch of green tea samples as
well as a tin of white and a Chatsford mug for Christmas and to date, none
of it has been commented on, either.

> P.S. I guess one really irritating thing for me is that so many people are
> going for green tea now because it's "healthy" and totally missing the

"tea"
> part. It makes me feel like their "using" green tea and then they're gonna
> turn it out of the house the next morning....ya know?


Yes, it's like they're following some sort of diet fad that they'll abandon
when the fad-food wind changes. Some will stick because they'll have
discovered the nuances of taste. As for the others, I've decided that
they're the Ordinary People that certain teas are Too Good For (TGFOP). I
suspect that my avowed green tea-drinker friend falls into this category
because she's into really healthy stuff anyway and said that she doesn't
drink black tea because it doesn't have as many health benefits.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.



Michael Plant 03-03-2005 12:54 PM

3/2/05


> Michael Plant wrote:
> <<snip>>
>> To resteep greens, remember that the initial steep opens the leaves

> rather
>> quickly and can be fairly quick. But, for the second steep, the

> leaves are
>> already open and ready to release their stuff, so a nearly

> instantaneous
>> steep would yield fine results without bitterness. (I use half as

> many grams
>> of tea as there will be ounces of water for starters.)
>>
>> Michael

>
> What? Remember, I'm still learning and new to this. You are saying that
> the subsequent infusions should be shorter than the first? If anything,
> I've been doing just the opposite usually exending subsequent steep
> times slightly. Am I doing this wrong? Will I get better results by
> shortening my subsequent infusions.


Let's say this: The first steep for however long, the second somewhat
faster, and then the next steeps progressively add time. The exact timings
differ according to the tea quality, age, delicacy, not to mention your
personal taste. I find that a slightly understeeped green is more pleasant
than one slightly oversteeped. A two or three minute first steep of a green
would nearly always be a problem, IMHO.
>
> BTW: I have been testing for bitterness and learned the breaking point
> for my teas. I don't have a problem with bitterness on multiple
> infusions - or if I do, I don't use that tea for multiple infusions.


Some bitterness, in my opinion again, provides a foil for other qualities
such as sweetness. The danger is a lack of integration and balance. You
learn as you go. In spring, when the Long Jings (Lung Jin, Dragon Wells) hit
our shores, you might get a couple to experiment with and to develop brewing
parameters.

Just thoughts.

Michael
>




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