Is green your cup of tea?

? As the weather cools across most of the country, and the flu and cold season kicks into high gear, these are times when a hot cup of green tea makes sense to many people. It’s relatively economical, and healthful.

Here are some tips:

  • Start with good water. A water filter will remove chlorine and some impurities from tap water. Compare your filtered tap water with the bottled waters available. Read their content labels. The perfect water for green tea has a pH of 7 and Total Dissolved Solids under 400.
  • Use water at temperatures below boiling. Boiling water spoils green tea, which requires water at least 30 degrees cooler, about 170 to 185 degrees. When steam rises in a vertical column from your kettle, the water is too hot.
  • Avoid over-steeping. Steep green tea for 3 minutes at the most, preferably 2 minutes, then remove tea bag or tea leaf from cup or pot. For lighter flavor use shorter steeping time. To figure out your own preference for the perfect cup of tea, get a timer and experiment.