There are several reasons that tea can be bitter. It can be can be related to the water, the brewing time, the cleanliness of your teapot, and even the tea itself.
The chemical that makes tea bitter is called tannin. It’s a chemical compound with an astringent quality. It has a drying effect and is the element that can make your mouth pucker when you drink tea. The tannin is released when you put hot water on the tea leaves. To prevent your tea from being bitter, you need to minimize the amount of tannin released into the tea you drink. Here are some factors to consider.
The tea: the first thing you want to consider is the quality and type of tea you are brewing. Teabags are usually made from the “fannings” and dust of the tea that has been processed in larger pieces for loose leaf packaging. Smaller pieces make a larger overall surface area for the tea to release tannins from. In other words, you will get more tannin per second from teabags than from loose tea. Furthermore, the tiny pieces expose more surface area to the air during storage, making it more vulnerable to getting stale faster. In addition, many teabags are often made with inferior quality tea to begin with.
Cleanliness: Did you ever notice those brownish stains on the inside of your teapot? That’s traces of tannin. If you let it build up, it will eventually start to affect the flavor of your tea. To prevent this, rinse out your teapot with warm water as soon as it’s empty. After it’s cooled, wash it inside and out with baking soda on the corner of a washcloth. Soaps can leave a lingering residue that affect the taste of your tea, but baking soda rinses clean and is the natural enemy of tannin since it is alkaline. Use the brush for cleaning the nipples on baby bottles to get down into the spout and clean it.
The water: Taste the water you are using to make your tea. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t make your tea with it. You can use a good spring or filtered water, but don’t use one that is distilled. Distilled water has an absence of minerals altogether and will make you tea taste flat like pasta does when you cook it without salt.
The brewing temperature: No this is a tricky bit here. In general you brew black teas with water that has come to a “full rolling boil” and green or white teas at 140o to 175o F. But. There are some teas that don’t follow that general rule, so read the label on the tea container and follow the directions recommended by the tea company. They want their tea to taste as good as possible so their directions are probably going to be right.
The amount of tea used: This is another tricky one. In general you want one teaspoon or one teabag of tea for each six fluid ounces of hot water used. Measure how many ounces your teapot or teacup holds then divide the number by six. That will tell you how many teaspoons of tea to use. However, some teas need a little more or less, so, again, read the box or the tin and see what the company recommends. Also, if this proportion doesn’t taste strong enough to you, don’t increase the amount of tea. Buy a stronger tea to begin with such as a nice Assam. They’re naturally stronger and richer in flavor.
The brewing time: Now we get to the number one factor in bitter tea—the brewing time. The longer the tea steeps, the more tannin is released. Teabags have tiny pieces for quick brewing, which means the tannins are released much faster. Most teabags should be removed from the hot water within 40 to 60 seconds. Loose green tea should be removed in 1 to 3 minutes, black tea in 4, and oolong in 3 to 4. Herbal teas can steep as long as you like. They have no true tea in them and therefore no tannin. However, again, read the instructions on the box before you brew because some teas do not follow the standard rules.
If you use loose tea, you need to have a tea ball or an infuser or some other method of removing the leaves from the water before the tea turns bitter. If you use an infuser, you must use one large enough to let the leaves unfurl. The whole leaves have been curled and they need room to open. Some people find it better to use a large cheesecloth bag that can be washed without detergent and reused. It gives the tea more room. If you have neither an infuser nor a cheesecloth bag, you can decant the tea into another teapot using a tea strainer.
How do I fix bitter tea? No amount of sugar can fix bitter tea. Instead you get tea that is both bitter and sweet, nice for chocolate, but not so much for tea. To make already brewed tea less bitter, add a very small pinch of baking soda. As mentioned above, baking soda counter acts the tannins, but if you add more than just a tiny bit, your tea will taste like baking soda.
So, next time you make a pot of tea, remember, the right tea, the right water, the right temperature, the right brewing time, and a sparkling clean teapot. But if you forget, add a pinch of baking soda.
The chemical that makes tea bitter is called tannin. It’s a chemical compound with an astringent quality. It has a drying effect and is the element that can make your mouth pucker when you drink tea. The tannin is released when you put hot water on the tea leaves. To prevent your tea from being bitter, you need to minimize the amount of tannin released into the tea you drink. Here are some factors to consider.
The tea: the first thing you want to consider is the quality and type of tea you are brewing. Teabags are usually made from the “fannings” and dust of the tea that has been processed in larger pieces for loose leaf packaging. Smaller pieces make a larger overall surface area for the tea to release tannins from. In other words, you will get more tannin per second from teabags than from loose tea. Furthermore, the tiny pieces expose more surface area to the air during storage, making it more vulnerable to getting stale faster. In addition, many teabags are often made with inferior quality tea to begin with.
Cleanliness: Did you ever notice those brownish stains on the inside of your teapot? That’s traces of tannin. If you let it build up, it will eventually start to affect the flavor of your tea. To prevent this, rinse out your teapot with warm water as soon as it’s empty. After it’s cooled, wash it inside and out with baking soda on the corner of a washcloth. Soaps can leave a lingering residue that affect the taste of your tea, but baking soda rinses clean and is the natural enemy of tannin since it is alkaline. Use the brush for cleaning the nipples on baby bottles to get down into the spout and clean it.
The water: Taste the water you are using to make your tea. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t make your tea with it. You can use a good spring or filtered water, but don’t use one that is distilled. Distilled water has an absence of minerals altogether and will make you tea taste flat like pasta does when you cook it without salt.
The brewing temperature: No this is a tricky bit here. In general you brew black teas with water that has come to a “full rolling boil” and green or white teas at 140o to 175o F. But. There are some teas that don’t follow that general rule, so read the label on the tea container and follow the directions recommended by the tea company. They want their tea to taste as good as possible so their directions are probably going to be right.
The amount of tea used: This is another tricky one. In general you want one teaspoon or one teabag of tea for each six fluid ounces of hot water used. Measure how many ounces your teapot or teacup holds then divide the number by six. That will tell you how many teaspoons of tea to use. However, some teas need a little more or less, so, again, read the box or the tin and see what the company recommends. Also, if this proportion doesn’t taste strong enough to you, don’t increase the amount of tea. Buy a stronger tea to begin with such as a nice Assam. They’re naturally stronger and richer in flavor.
The brewing time: Now we get to the number one factor in bitter tea—the brewing time. The longer the tea steeps, the more tannin is released. Teabags have tiny pieces for quick brewing, which means the tannins are released much faster. Most teabags should be removed from the hot water within 40 to 60 seconds. Loose green tea should be removed in 1 to 3 minutes, black tea in 4, and oolong in 3 to 4. Herbal teas can steep as long as you like. They have no true tea in them and therefore no tannin. However, again, read the instructions on the box before you brew because some teas do not follow the standard rules.
If you use loose tea, you need to have a tea ball or an infuser or some other method of removing the leaves from the water before the tea turns bitter. If you use an infuser, you must use one large enough to let the leaves unfurl. The whole leaves have been curled and they need room to open. Some people find it better to use a large cheesecloth bag that can be washed without detergent and reused. It gives the tea more room. If you have neither an infuser nor a cheesecloth bag, you can decant the tea into another teapot using a tea strainer.
How do I fix bitter tea? No amount of sugar can fix bitter tea. Instead you get tea that is both bitter and sweet, nice for chocolate, but not so much for tea. To make already brewed tea less bitter, add a very small pinch of baking soda. As mentioned above, baking soda counter acts the tannins, but if you add more than just a tiny bit, your tea will taste like baking soda.
So, next time you make a pot of tea, remember, the right tea, the right water, the right temperature, the right brewing time, and a sparkling clean teapot. But if you forget, add a pinch of baking soda.
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