Alright, you just brought home some loose leaf tea (or maybe received your first Plum Deluxe tea club order) and you can't wait to make a cup! But hold up -- you totally forgot to pick up a tea ball at the store. Or maybe you've lost all your mesh infusers. What to do?
Don't panic, we've got you covered! Here is how to make loose leaf tea without an infuser.
Cup It
This is the easiest way to make loose leaf tea and is especially good if you want to read your tea leaves afterward. Simply put your tea leaves directly into the cup, pour in hot water, and steep! Drink when ready. Note: This is only for those who don't mind bit of tea leaf bumping their lips and/or ingesting brewed leaves.
Pot It
Most tea pots these days come with a removable infuser basket, but in case yours didn't -- or you're using great-grandma's vintage tea set -- here's how to brew tea in your pot. Spoon the tea leaves into pot, pour in hot water, and steep, just like you would with the first method, above. When the tea is ready, pour it into your tea cup through a mesh kitchen strainer or slotted spoon to keep tea leaves out. This method also works if you don't have a teapot; just use two mugs instead.
Bag It
As much as we're not fans of bagged tea around here, making your own is not a bad option. If you happen to have some premade tea filter bags, just slip your loose leaf tea inside and steep away! They're especially great for traveling or taking your tea to the office.
For those who don't have such a luxury, you can make a tea bag with a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or loose-woven cotton muslin cloth. Simply take the filter or a square of cloth and place your tea in the center. Pull the edges up and twist to form a little purse; secure with a rubber band or string.
Press It
Those of you who are also coffee drinkers have a few extra options. You remember your dusty old French press, right? Well, it's also perfect for brewing tea! Nothing special here; use the press like you always do and use tea leaves instead of coffee. Just make sure to clean the press very well first so you don't get any coffee flavors mixed with your tea (unless you’re a dirty chai lover). If you're really desperate, you can even brew your tea in a very, very clean coffee maker.
So, no excuses -- go on and brew yourself a nice, big cup of tea!
All photos are courtesy of the author.
