The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-08-04
How to Make Ideal Tea.


Having been fortunate enough to Sc
cure pound or two of pure, fragrant,
unadulterated tea, we must see that it
is kept in an air-tight canister. If it be
not SO kept the tea will lose its crisp
ness and flavor by absorbing moisture
to some extent from the surrounding
atmosphere and by yielding up its vola-
tile OIL
The tea-kettle should be kept scrupu
lousy clean, both inside and out. We
can not expect to make good tea from
water boiled in kettle that is barked
inside with lime or other deposit, and
outside with SCOT. A dirty kettle
proves the servant to be Slut, and
darkly hints at carelessness in the mis-.
| tress.
The water should be soft There is
nothing to beat rain water that has been
kept under ground in large tanks.
The water should be filtered.
| The fire over which q tea-kettle boils
ought to be as free from smoke as pos
sible, otherwise it is not impossible
that the water may partake of the flavor
of peat or burning Goals and the tea be
spoiled.
Before the water has come to the boil
the teapot should be well-warmed and
the tea put in. 1t may then stand for a
short time on the hob until the water
boils, when #a-t
| The tea should ut once be made. We
heat the teapot in order to conserve all
! the calcoric in the boiling water. We
make the tea as soon as the water comes
to the boil because good tea can only be
made with freshly-boiling water, not
boiling water that has been boiled be-
fore or has neen kept boiling too long
Boiled water is fiat because il is non
aerated, that is the ''why and the
wherefore. Servants want to be
drilled to this, or their heads drilled and
the truth rammed into them. A worse
fault than even this is making tea with
water that has gone off the boil, which
servants often do. ~
Carbonate of soda should never be
used to draw the tea.
1t is best, we think (but we sit subject
to CONTRADICTORY, to pour on all the wa
ter that is wanted, for the first cup at all
events, at once, and not to merely wet
the tea, as it is popularity called.
1t is a mistake to add fresh tea to that
which has already been made by way OF
getting stronger, and we. weFconstantly
hear the remark made, ''Put little
more tea in the pot" If more tea OF
stronger tea is wanted, it ought to BIZ
made in another teapot, and spare
one often comes in handy.
A teapot ought to contain enough tea
to go all round the company once, al
least; the habit of half-filling all tn,
cups, then adding boiling water ant
completing the work, is Objectionable,
not to say stingy.
Urns may be used, and some q
them look very nice on the table; bu
water should be boiling and the urn il
self must previously have been vel
busted. '-
What is the best kind of teapot
There is a difference of opinion abou
this. For our part we like the old-fash
toned brown earthenware one, provide,
it holds enough. Next comes the silve
teapot, which some prefer.
White china teapots are also good
But in whatever teapot the tea is made
!. it ought to be clean and pretty new; al
old teapot gets bad in the enamel, O
lined with deposit. An old clay pipe
perhaps, but new teapot!
How long should tea draw From
three minutes to seven, according to tn
kind of tea and the character of th
water.
Invalids and people with delicat
stomachs (and everybody else for tina
matter), ought to be most careful
! to obtain tea of a superior excellenc
and quite free from facing and adul
! teration, and ought to attend rigidly t
/ the plan of making cup of good tie
r which we have just been endeavorin
! to explain. The invalid should neve
/ on any account drink green or scente
!. tea. The tea he is to drink, after hay
ing been infused for the proper time
, say five minutes, should be poured o
the leaves into a well-heated, clean tea
pot, and served in that, covered by til
: coy, if there be one about. ID
: Staples.