Mim's Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• 5 cups of water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 inches of fresh ginger root (approximately), cut into chunks
• 7 whole cardamom pods
• 1 tsp. of anise seed (you can also use 2 whole pods if you can find them) I used whole star anise
• 10 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 Vanilla Bean, halved and split down the middle
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
• 10 - 12 black teabags
• 1/3 cup raw cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tbs. honey - optional.

Details

Adapted from cookingforcrafters.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large pot bring the water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat.Add tea and let it steep. As the tea is steeping, add spices, and steep an additional 20 minutes (about 30 minutes total). The more it steeps the stronger and spicier it will taste. Strain and add the honey. Stir to combine and dissolve.

To drink immediately, mix 1 part concentrate with one part milk or hot water. Serve over ice or heat as desired. If you plan on giving it as gifts or want to keep it for later use, do not add milk. Keep it as a concentrate and bottle.