I just saw yet another recipe for sun tea—made by putting tea leaves or tea bags into a container full of cold water and then letting the thing sit in the sun for a few hours to brew. But sun tea is a terrible idea! And although this particular article (Carr 6/1/20) claims that bacterial … Continue reading Is Sun Tea a Good Idea?
As probably all of us have been discovering, staying at home brings some unforeseen minor inconveniences. We dismiss them as petty, especially in light of those who are currently working so hard to ensure we still have groceries and garbage pickup and emergency furnace repair and health care despite an overburdened system. But for those … Continue reading My Moroccan Teapot: Graceful and Functional, but Is It Safe?
Ever wonder why sometimes there's a bit of sediment in your tea cup? Or speculate as to what exactly it is? Since customers evidently prefer that their tea beverages be clear rather than murky, manufacturers of ready-to-drink tea beverages have long looked into tea sediment, which forms simply from the binding of polyphenols to proteins … Continue reading Sediment in Your Tea?
A cozy evening with family and friends—preferably around a cheery fire—begs a nice, hot spiced cider, wine, or tea! Mulling is easy, and because the spices are potent, you don't need a high-quality base. Rather, a cheap wine or any strong tea or some inexpensive cider will be fine. Simply throw in mulling spices, heat … Continue reading Mulling Spices Transform Wine and Tea into Seasonal Treats
The snowfall record was smashed in Ann Arbor. This past Monday. Forty days before winter officially begins. Before some of us had raked the leaves. Or cleaned the gutters, cleared the garden, taken in yard furniture, even removed the jack o'lanterns. This unprecedented 11 inches of snow in early November yet again demonstrates current climate unpredictability. … Continue reading Tea’s Low Carbon Footprint—Until You Heat the Water
Guest post by Alissa, of Lettered Madness Having been called away this week for pressing family matters, my lovely daughter kindly stepped in for me, sharing some tea superstitions that she dug up—perfect for October when we begin fashioning costumes and picking up our favorite Halloween candy! Tea — warm, comforting, calming. Or is it? … Continue reading The Perils of Incorrectly Having Tea!
When you reach for a teacup, do you ever have to think about it? If you're a somewhat tea-obsessed individual, yeah, you get this, and you may have joined me in pausing and deliberating. Aesthetics or just functionality? Match teacups to teapot? Or teacup to tea type? Serving guests or no? Drinking mindfully or absentmindedly? … Continue reading Why You Should Choose Your Teacup Carefully
Caffeine Most people have an opinion about it! Some of us require a dose (or two!) before facing our day whereas others avoid it. And many of us—to ensure that we aren't counting sheep all night—eschew caffeine in the evenings. So, How DO You Get Caffeine Out of Tea? Actually, it's rather tricky. Tea's caffeine rival—coffee—is a bit more straightforward in this regard. … Continue reading How Tea Is Decaffeinated
This week brought several news articles relating to toxins that might be lurking in your tea. I've addressed this issue before (Poison in My Tea?), looking at research and considering some of the avenues for contamination, but here's the latest: New Lawsuit This week, Yahoo Finance reports that the Organic Consumers Association has sued Twinings … Continue reading Poison in My Tea? Redux
Concerned about how many disposable items you use in a day? Or the ridiculous over-packaging that's rampant in our stores? Or the mountains of plastic accumulating in our oceans? Want to make a bit of a difference with minimal effort? If you drink mainly teabag tea, just switch to loose leaf. Besides having a dramatically … Continue reading Be Kind to the Environment When Making Tea
It's More Than Tea 