Microwaved Tea: Friend or Foe? There's nothing quite like a soothing cup of tea on a chilly day. But in the rush of modern life, convenience often trumps tradition. This begs the question: is microwaving your tea a quick and dirty hack, or a recipe for disappointment? The Case for Convenience: Those that love the microwave method love its speed and simplicity. No kettle, no stovetop – just pop in your tea and water in a mug, zap it, and voila! Instant warm beverage. Some studies even suggest that microwaving unlocks more caffeine and antioxidants, potentially boosting the health benefits. But Hold Your Horses: Science throws a splash of cold water on these claims. Microwaves heat liquids unevenly, creating hot spots...
When you purchase tea from us, we think it is important that the quality of that leaf lasts. But how you store your tea, impacts how the tea will taste over time. You will notice that when you purchase a bag of tea from us that it comes in a brown bag, with a foil inside and a sealing strip along the top. These bags are excellent for ensuring the quality of your tea. The #1 enemy of your tea is moisture and light. Both of these greatly degrade the quality of your tea and will prevent it from lasting for an extended period of time. We often see teas stored in glass jars. Unfortunately, glass jars (even though they...
It is entirely possible to grow the tropical tea plant, Camellia Sinensis to survive in southern freezes. It is most commonly grown in zones 7 - 10 but with some plants growing outside of that zone. Our zone in Brookhaven, Mississippi is a Zone 8b. If you don't know what growing zone you are in for North America quickly go here first. Over the years we have learned a lot about successfully growing tea plants in the unpredictable weather conditions of the South. Temperatures here in the winter months can get into the 20's (-6c) and it does occasionally dip even below that. The coldest day on record in Mississippi is -19F (-28C) experienced in 1966. Now, we did not have tea...
Over the years we have had to master getting our tea seeds to germinate. The below process has worked for us consistently throughout the years and should help you grow new tea plants from seed. Steps to getting your tea seeds to germinate. Plant the seeds in a container, you will need to place them half way in, half way out of the soil. Wet down the soil and cover with something like plastic wrap. The seeds need to be kept in a warm place while they germinate. If you notice the soil drying up, add more water. The goal is to keep them consistently moist but not soggy. Note: Tea seeds do not require light to germinate Can...
