Spiced Chai Tea Concentrate

Image: Mason jar filled with a brewed spiced black tea mixture.

Description: Fall is the perfect season for a richly spiced chia tea and this recipe makes enough chai tea concentrate for a full week's worth of chia tea lattes.

Yield: Makes just roughly 3 cups of concentrate or 6-8 prepared cups of chai tea/chai tea latte.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups water

• 4 black tea bags

• 8 cinnamon sticks

• 6-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (approx. 40-50 g)

• 1 ½ teaspoons whole cardamom seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1 tablespoon whole cloves

• 4 star anise pods (or 1 tsp anise seed)

• 3 whole allspice berries (or 1 tsp ground allspice)

• 2 tablespoon s brown sugar (more or less to taste)

• *1 vanilla bean, sliced down the middle

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or fresh grated nutmeg)

Directions:

To a medium pot, add all ingredients, except tea bags, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from heat, then add in the black tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes or according to package directions.

Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the brewing material and teas. Pour the liquid into a mason jar or other glass storage container and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use, for up to one week.

Serving:

When ready to serve, mix equal parts concentrate with water to make a chai tea, or with any kind of milk to make chai tea latte.

Notes:

You can substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla flavoring instead of vanilla bean pod. Be mindful that if you are using the extract which is made with alcohol, then don't use dairy milk with this recipe because the milk will curdle due to the presence of alcohol in the final product.