So, do you re-steep your tea? Not many people are aware that 'resteeping tea' is a thing, particularly those of us who grew up in the tea bag generation where it was a matter of dip and toss (oh the waste!).
Once you graduate to the fuller flavour & goodness of loose leaf tea however it's time to 'unlearn' some of those practices we've picked up over time.
Re-infusing tea is simply leaving the leaves in your pot or your tea stick and using again for the next cup. With resonance tea blends some will give you two infusions before they're due to change, others will give you four and five. It's simply a matter of trial and error (and very much personal taste when it comes to the strength of your brew).
The best way to tell if you're leaves are done is once you've added the hot water and left the tea leaves to do their thing the colour of the steeped liquid is significantly lighter than previous brews. Simply change out your leaves or grab a clean pot and start the process again. Once you get started it's really easy, and you'll be a resteeping champ in no time at all.
And your spent leaves? Too easy! Throw them straight into your garden beds for the eco system within to use however it sees fit, or pop them in your compost bin. The main difference is when you use loose leaf tea there are no plastics that you have to worry about - going into your body when you consume the tea, or into your gardens when you dispose of the tea mix. I have found what works best for our household is to keep a little composting tub in the cupboard under the kitchen sink and I discard of the leaves and the water remnants into that, along with any veggie scraps. It's lessening your water waste as well, we all know that compost loves moisture and it saves the tea water being wasted down the sink. In the warmer months just make sure you're taking it out to the compost every second day or you'll soon be investigating some icky smells.
Once you start infusing your teas in this manner you'll adapt quickly and never look back. It saves you money by getting more bang from your buck through resteeping your tea leaves, & it saves the environment by adding to your compost or your garden's ecosystem. It's a win-win all round!
