Tea Talk

Ever wondered what to do with your tea leaves besides throwing them out? Well, I’ll share one of my secrets. I use them all over in my garden and around my trees. When I’ve finished brewing my tea (and the flavor doesn’t matter), I simply take the used tea-leaves (no need to dry them out) and add them to my potting soil, garden soil, or compost bin. This gives me an acid-rich, nourishing compost that I use all over my garden to fertilize and grow my plants. Another great thing about using tea leaves in your garden: it keeps pests,...

I love herbal teas. Why? Herbal teas come in many different flavors. In my store, I carry around 30 of them. I am sure that there are quite a few herbal teas that can entice even the most sophisticated palate. Herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free and are therefore ideal for enjoying in the evening, like my "Good Night, Sleep Tight" tea or the "Sweet Dreams Herbal." When drinking herbal teas, you don't need to worry about the late-night caffeine spike keeping you up all night. As you may already know, herbal teas are also phenomenal when you serve them cold. They can taste fruity...

To get the best flavor and health benefits from your tea, you should brew the tea leaves at their ideal water temperature - not too hot and not too cold. What do I mean? When you pour water over the tea leaves in your strainer basket and let them steep for a few minutes, the tea leaves release tannins, amino acids, and flavor compounds into your water. Brewing your tea at the ideal water temperature extracts these compounds in a balanced way and results in a tea that not only tastes amazing but also preserves all its health benefits. Water...

The other day, a customer asked me while sipping on a freshly brewed cup of her favorite tea, "Dani, why does the same tea tastes so much better when I drink it here than when I brew it at home?" Several reasons came immediately to my mind. The quality of the tea certainly plays an important role, as does the amount of tea you use, the brewing temperature, and the steeping time. Often overlooked, though, is the quality of your water. If your tea has a sharp or metallic taste, you may have hard water, which means that your water's...