To make tea concentrate from tea bags, you essentially brew a very strong batch of tea that can be diluted later. Here's a straightforward method:
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Boil Water: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
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Add Tea Bags: Add 6 tea bags to the boiling water.
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Boil and Steep: Boil the tea bags in the water for 4 minutes. For a significantly stronger concentrate, you can boil for a few minutes longer. Be mindful of potential bitterness with longer boiling times.
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Remove Tea Bags: Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully discard the tea bags.
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Cool to Room Temperature: Allow the tea concentrate to cool to room temperature. This prevents condensation from forming in the refrigerator.
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Refrigerate: Pour the cooled tea concentrate into a clean, 1-quart container and refrigerate. It is now ready to be used!
Using Your Tea Concentrate:
When you want to enjoy your tea, dilute the concentrate with water to your desired strength. A good starting point is a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water (e.g., 1/2 cup of concentrate + 1/2 cup of water), but adjust to suit your taste. You can also use the concentrate to make iced tea, tea lattes, or other tea-based beverages.