I love chai: Tazo, Oregon, Morning Glory, you name it! I love the feeling of sitting with my hands wrapped around a big warm mug and inhaling the spicy sweet scent. Nothing is more relaxing to me than slowly sipping a chai. So, needless to say, trying to enjoy a chai from the Starbucks drive-thru while I manuever through traffic is pretty pointless. Not to mention how guilty I always feel, knowing that I just paid more for a 20 oz chai than i would pay for 2 gallons of the milk in that chai! So I started making it at home.....and by making it at home I mean that I bought the concentrate from the store and poured it in a cup with milk and microwaved it. Or if I was feeling really fancy, I used my espresso machine to steam it and get the nice foam on top. I felt good about it. A box of chai concentrate cost me less than a single chai from a coffee shop and would make several cups. And the best part was I could sit at home, catch up on an episode of Greys Anatomy and really enjoy that cup!
But you know me, I can't leave well enough alone. Again, I thought there had to be an even better way. I was lurking around Pinterest as I so often do and I came across a recipe for homemade chai concentrate. Well DUH! SO I googled it, i compared recipes, got a general idea of the process and ingredients. I also looked at the ingredients listed on the side of the box in my favorite brand and decided I could do it. Or at least I could give it a shot.
The first time I made it, it turned out pretty tasty, not the best ever but a close second, and i really enjoyed the way it made my whole house smell as I was making it. Definitely worth another go. The problem is when I make things I rarely measure, i just kinda eyeball it and taste it as I go along.........kinda makes it hard to tweak a recipe. Also my mom asked for the recipe. So the next batch I made, I tried to measure as I was putting stuff in. This batch turned out way better, I was not as shy with the spices, and it definitely stood up to my Starbucks.
CHAI CONCNETRATE
This recipe makes about 4 large mason jars, give or take.
Fill a large soup pot with water, put it on the stove to boil. As you are waiting for it to boil, gather your ingredients. You will need:
5 TBSP Black tea, I use Ahmad Tea, orange Pekoe is good....any loose leaf tea is good. Im sure you could use tea bags as well......but am not sure about the number
2 cinnamon sticks
A few slices of fresh ginger, you can also use powdered(about 1/4-1/2 TBSP depending on how much you like ginger)
1/4 TBSP Anise seed, or 4 star anise pods (or half and half of both)
1/4 TBSP Fennel seed
1/4 TBSP Black Cardamon Seeds, or 10-15 green cardamon pods, broken open
1/4 TBSP whole cloves
15 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Orange Zest
Honey to taste and 3 TBSP vanilla extract (to be added at the end, after its strained)
For all of the ingredients you can adjust the amount to your own taste, or you can omit it completely, this is just a guide to get you started.
Once the water is boiling add all the ingredients except the honey and vanilla. Let it remain at a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes.
Turn the heat off, cover and leave it to steep for 30 minutes to an hour(I prefer an hour, i like it stronger)
Put a strainer in a large mixing bowl and line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Pour or ladle the tea into the strainer. Be careful it is still very hot and your cheesecloth will want to slip. Do it slowly. Some people use a cotton, muslin or mesh bag to put their ingredients in, so they can skip this step. I don't have one, so I do this.
Take the strainer away and add the vanilla and then the honey (or sugar or agave nectar-whatever you like to use as a sweetener). Go slow with the honey. I add maybe 10 TBSP and taste it. You may need much more, but make sure as you are doing it you are stirring well to incorporate the honey at the bottom. Also it will taste sweeter when you add milk, so if youre not sure - try a little bit with milk. Its better to make it less sweet and have to add a bit everytime you make it, than to have it too sweet and hard to drink.
When you have it how you like it, ladle it into containers. I use 4 large mason jars. Its very easy to use a jar spout or funnel to do it. The glass doesn't stain from the tea, or soak up taste and odor. I use them for everything, and if you want to give some as a gift, it looks really nice with just some twine and a cinnamon stick tied around the neck.
I let them cool on the counter and then keep them in the fridge. When I want a nice relaxing chai, i just go to the fridge, fill a mug with equal parts milk and chai and just sit! A batch of 4 mason jars costs less than $2.50 (if you buy your spices from bulk...you get ripped off in the baking aisle. Try your local health food store or co-op for great prices on bulk items) Oh yeah....and you save the calories by limiting how much sugar is added in it. Forgot to mention that.
This recipe is one that I make weekly. I am never out of it! When I see my last jar half full I know it is time to make another batch. Like I said above, it also makes a great gift if you have a chai lovin' friend. Just remind them to refrigerate it.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do, and would love to hear any suggestions you have or other ingredients you might use!
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