Blueberry Flavored Green Tea

The Blueberry Flavored Green Tea blend from English Tea Store is a delicious green tea with a wonderfully sweet character and a pleasing astringency. Made from a green Pekoe Gunpowder, this wonderful tea is flavored naturally. Gunpowder teas typically have a dark coppery green color that produces a pale, yellowy green infusion with a smooth, slightly smoky cup with a sweetish finish. This tea is highly receptive to the addition of the blueberry natural flavoring and produces a very satisfying brew.

Blueberries rank the highest when compared to 40 other fruits for antioxidant activity, and their sweet character make them a wonderful additive to a delicate green tea. The Blueberry Flavored Green Tea is terrific when served hot or iced.

Ingredients: Pekoe gunpowder green tea, cornflower petals, and natural flavors

Brewing Instructions:

Hot Tea Brewing Method: Use freshly drawn water. When water is re-boiled, or stands for a while, it loses oxygen which prevents the full flavor of the tea being released. Warm the pot first. This helps the brewing process by maintaining the brewing temperature for longer so to extract more flavor from the tea. Be sure to use boiling water to make the tea. Water which is “off the boil” does not allow the tea to brew properly. Ideal brewing temperature is 100° C/212° F. Minimum brewing temperature is 90° C/194° F. Brew for 3-5 minutes. Shorter times will not reveal the full flavor and the quality of the tea. Longer brewing will result in a bitter tasting tea as Tannin will start to be extracted from the tea leaves (If you brew in a cup brew for a much shorter time, 1 – 2 minutes). Stir the tea in the pot once or twice while it is brewing.

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea, 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1.25 cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top – up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving): Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6 – 7oz/170 – 200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional 1/2 serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)