Healthy Juice Central  Newsletter July 2007

     Greeetings !

Summer is still sweltering with temperatures reaching well above 90º in many parts of the United States and lots of us are reaching for that cool, refreshing glass of iced tea perhaps sweetened with fruit or juice. Some still have their hot cuppa, while relaxing in the comfort of the air-conditioned indoors. Teas are associated with calming and relaxation. Whatever you decided to sip on, Healthy Juice Central wants share some great tea recipes to relax and calm your summer!

Teas are world’s leading beverage second only to water. Tea has been around for at least over a thousand years in the history of mankind. All along green and black teas along with herbs have been used help several ailments ranging from aiding digestion to induce sleep and calm nerves and spirits. Herb teas are popular today because of several health benefits of their active ingredients and caffeine free properties. 

How to Brew the Perfect cup of Tea

Boil filtered water. Rinse the tea pot with some of the water.  Use only a non metallic tea pot like ceramic when making herbal teas. For Indian Chai or when using tea leaves a vessel made with steel can be used. Generally 1 tsp of crushed herbs are used per cup of water. Add the herbs to the warm pot and pour the boiling water over it. Cover with a lid on the pot and a stopper on the spout. Steep 15 minutes before straining into the cup.

Types of Tea

The hundreds of different teas are each one of  three types: green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. They all come from the same tea bush called Camellia sinensis. They differ only in the degree of fermentation or oxidation the leaves undergo after they are picked for processing. 

• Green tea is unfermented.  Leaves are plucked and immediately steamed or fired (heated.) This kills the fermentation enzymes so none takes place. That is why the leaves are green, the liquor so light and the flavor so vegetal or mild.
  
• Oolong tea is partially fermented.  Leaves are picked and allowed to ferment for four or five hours in direct sunlight. Next, firing halts fermentation when it is half complete. Therefore, the leaves and the liquor have more color than for green, but not as dark as black tea. The flavor of a oolong tea is a bit more complex than a green tea. Some amazing fruit or flowery notes are trademarks of oolongs.
  
• Black tea is fully fermented. Leaves are dried for a day after picking. Then they are allowed to fully ferment before firing stops fermentation. The resulting leaves and liquor are usually darker than an oolong. The flavor of a black tea depends on where it’s grown. Tannin (a puckering quality) is often evident in black teas.
  
• Herbal tea contains no real tea, but rather herbs and or tisanes.

Click Here for Tea Recipes

 Herb Teas

Herb teas are effective as a therapeutic tool because when boiling water is poured over the herbs and then allowed to steep, the cell walls are broken , releasing soluble organic compounds and essences into water. Herb teas are gaining in popularity because of the health benefits of the active ingredients and the gentle caffeine free flavor. While fresh herbs can be used to make nutritive teas most medicinal tea recipes call for dried herbs because of ease of use.

Click Here for some Herb Tea Recipes

 

 1) Tea should be steeped for atleast minimum 5 to 15 minutes. The polyphenol content of tea increases with steeping time, while a shorter steeping time results in a high caffeine content but low polyphenol content.
2) One word of caution, brewed tea has a shelf life! Not only can bacteria begin to form but time and exposure diminish the health benefits. For best results, adhere to the following
3) Tea stored at room temperature should be kept no longer than 2 days.
4) Tea stored in the refrigerator should be kept no longer than 3 days.
5) Herbal teas should be consumed hot and right away otherwise the volatile oils evaporate and some medicinal benefits may be lost.
6) If milk is added to the tea it has to be consumed right away.

 

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