Apple Pie Loose Leaf Black Tea

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Even though milk and a dash of sugar help enhance the flavor character on this tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume this tea ‘straight-up’
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or ‘milky’ when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!

The flavor combination of apple and cinnamon spice is as American as apple pie - that’s because it is the flavor of apple pie. But although apples have a long history in the United States, the cultivation of apple trees is thought to have originated in ancient Rome. The Romans brought the trees with them to England, then part of the Roman Empire, and in turn, the British brought them to Massachusetts. Specifically, it is believed that John Endicott, one of the early governors of the Massachusetts colony brought the first trees to North America in 1629. From there, the apple spread across the States thanks to the hard work of a man named John Chapman, otherwise known as Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed traveled the country on foot planting apples wherever he went. Somewhere along the line someone struck upon the idea of baking apples sprinkled with the spicy flavor of cinnamon. We’re sure glad they did. Brewing a pot of this tea is like baking an apple pie in a teapot – an absolutely delicious tea.