Blanching is a heating and cooling procedure applied to some vegetables, beans, fruit, meats, tea and other food products before preparation. The pretreatment process of blanching varies by food and your individual taste. Tea is often blanched to provide a cleaner, more distinct and flavorful final product. Blanching tea is more of an art, not an exact science, requiring the tea maker to test and tweak blanching methods.
Blanching Process
You can blanch tea by steaming, microwaving or simmering the leaves. Simmering is the preferred method for blanching tea, as it preserves the most nutrients and provides more distinct flavors. Blanching vegetables and other foods often involve a two-step process of heating the food and then cooling the food in ice water. Ice-water cooling is not necessary during tea blanching because the tea leaves are not consumed. The byproducts of tea leaves are released in warm water. When the fluid is removed, the byproducts are not released.
Blanching Tea
Use a small ceramic teapot or a Yixing teapot to blanch your tea leaves. Preheat your teapot by pouring simmering hot water into the pot and over the rim. Let the water sit in pot for approximately 30 seconds and pour out the water. Place the tea leaves in the pot and create a small mound. When rationing your ingredients, use three parts water for every one part of tea leaves. Pour hot water quickly into the tea pot filling it to the top. Foam or small bubbles may appear on the surface. Remove foam from the top by slowly moving the top of the pot across the surface of the water. Place the top on the pot, and immediately pour out all the water in the teapot. Refill your boiler with water and heat to a boil. Pour the water into the teapot to allow the leaves to steep.
Benefits of Blanching
Blanching offers a myriad benefits. The process of blanching tea leaves assists in removing dirt and microorganisms often left on the leaves. Enzyme activity is halted during blanching to slow the loss of texture, taste and color of the tea leaves. Among more mature and fermented teas, such as black tea, blanching can enhance the natural flavors and produce a more transparent solution. In addition, blanching helps preserve the nutrients and antioxidants that naturally occur in tea.
Other Considerations
Pay special attention to the length of time you blanch your tea leaves. Blanching your tea leaves too long can cause a loss of nutrients, flavor and color. However, not blanching the leaves long enough can cause increased enzymatic activity, which may expedite the aging process. Experiment with the blanching time and water temperature to produce the best tea for you. Fermented teas yield more flavorful products with simmering water and short blanching times, while unfermented or semi-fermented teas produce acceptable results with warm water and a one-minute blanching time.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق