Stick it in first or stir it in seconds? ?!


Question: Stick it in first or stir it in seconds!? !?
your making a mug of tea, do you stick the milk in first or second!?

i dont believe you can get a good cuppa if you stick it in first!.
ignore the teapot, we're common over here!.Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Milk goes in as sloppy seconds!.

There are two sorts of tannins in tea, yellow and brown!. The yellow is what gives the tea it's taste, the brown ones make it harsher (the stewed taste) a,d give it the colour!.

The yellow tannins are released when the water is 95C+, ie when it's just boiled!. So you need to pour boiling water onto the tealeaves (or bag) to release those tannins!. If you put milk (and sugar) in first, the water will cool below the temp needed to get those flavours out and you'll end up with more of the stewed taste!.

The brown tannins are released at much lower temperatures!. So as the tea brews, more and more are released!. Hence it does get stewed if left for too long!. also more of the brown tannins are released if you stir the tea!. So don't stir the tea!.

The ideal way to make it!. Boil some water in the kettle, pour some into the mug to heat it and slow the cooling of the water!. Mug in my case!. Second, reboil the water!. As it's about to boil empty the water out of the cup, put the tea/bag in and add the boiling water!. Let the tea sit for a few mins, then (without stirring) lift the tea/bag out!. Don't squeeze it or you'll get those nasty brown tannins out!.

Then add milk/sugar!.

If you wanted to be completely anal about it, you would boil the water and sugar together in a pan!. The sugar makes the water boil at higher than 100C, so you'd get even hotter water onto the tea and get more of the good taste out!.

You can also superheat water in a microwave but it's tricky and there's a danger that it will explode in your face as the superheated water turns to steam in one big go!. I don't like tea that much to risk 2nd degree burns and a cooked face!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Milk is second!. You really need hot water for tea and the milk cools it down!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

perv!. secondWww@FoodAQ@Com





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