Questions about the overnight tea

Q: How can I push the flavor out of Puerh tea further after many infusions?

Yes, you can with Puerh tea.  At the end of brewing, you can try to use the 'cooking' method.  You can use a bigger size of clay teapot in case that is the size can fit to the burner.  You can push the brewing for at least 2-3 rounds or more, it subjects to the quality of tea leaves and your taste preference. 

Q: Can I keep the leaves in the pot for 2-3 days?

First of all, I think it is important to distinguish the difference between brewing tea over night in the pot from drinking tea that has been brewed and filtered but store in a seperate drinking container.

The one people brew tea in the pot and let the infusion continue or re-use the leaves that they brewed tea the day before, this is the overnight tea.  Even if you filter the water out, there is still some water left in the pot.

Lu Yu and many Chinese traditional medicine gurus all suggested not drinking the overnight tea because it is not good for the health.  There are certain things to consider if you choose to leave the leaves in pot over night and hope you can continuously to enjoy it next day:

1. The change of water quality in the tea pot
2. The continuing oxidation will weaken the Vitamin C and other minerals in tea with longer infusion time, so what can you benefit or hinder by the overnight tea? That is a question.
3. Tea is base drink, the overnight infusion might release too much iron in the water
4. Also the overnight infused tea would release more Tannin that might be too aggressive to stomach as well

Furthermore, there are worries for transforming the protein and saccharide to bacteria, therefore, it is suggested not to drink the overnight tea.

Of course it is pitty to throw such tea away.  There are different creatives way to use the overnight tea. For example -

• Use it to brush teeth or to clearn moutn since the overnight tea contain rich acid and Fluorine
• Tea has calming and cleasing effects, so probably try to use it as toner after you wash your face, especially for young people who have problem with acne
• Tea contains rich iron, so can use it to water the evergreen plants which need a lot of iron
• Tea removes fat and bad odor, it's an ideal nature detergent for refrigerator or to clean the kitchen top
• When feeling very tire with your eyes, can dip a cotton pad in tea, then put the web tea cotton pad on eyes.
• .....etc.

The sky for reusing the left over tea leaves has no limit for a creative mind.

In case you really like the quality and taste of the tea that you drink today and would like to enjoy it further next day; you can infuse the tea and filter it out today, then keep in a non-toxie bottle.  Keep the bottle in dark and cool place or refrigerator, then you can still enjoy it next day.

Mei Lan Hsiao

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