Chamomile, grapefruit and thyme make a lovely caffeine-free pot for two of an evening. Good Earth Chamomile and Grapefruit already has the citrus in the bag, and fresh pink grapefruit segments, a coin of ginger and a couple of bruised thyme sprigs dropped in with the tea build it into something a good deal more interesting than a plain cup.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Chamomile, Grapefruit and Thyme Pot recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/camomile-tea/chamomile-grapefruit-and-thyme-pot/
Grapefruit and thyme is the pairing that does the work here; thyme suits the bitter citrus better than mint or rosemary would. The ginger adds a slow warmth without turning it spicy, and a little honey, stirred in while the pot is hot, rounds off the bitterness. It drinks well plain, though there is a small jug of warm milk on the side for anyone who fancies it.
You'll need
- 2 Good Earth Chamomile and Grapefruit tea bags
- 500ml freshly drawn water (used at 95C, off-boil and stood 30 seconds)
- 1 unwaxed pink grapefruit (half segmented into the pot, half sliced into thin rounds for the serving cups)
- 1 thin coin of fresh ginger root, peeled, about 5mm thick
- 2 small fresh thyme sprigs, bruised between the palms
- 2 tbsp acacia honey or raw blossom honey
- 1 small teapot of 600ml to 800ml capacity, pre-warmed
- 2 small ceramic teacups
- 1 small jug of warm whole milk on the side (optional, for anyone who wants it)
Method
- Fill the kettle, bring it to a true rolling boil, then take it off the heat and let it stand for thirty seconds to drop to 95C. Camomile leaf wants the off-boil temperature.
- Pre-warm the small teapot by filling with some of the just-boiled water, swirling, and tipping away.
- Segment half the pink grapefruit by slicing off the peel and pith with a sharp knife, then cutting between the membranes to release the fruit segments. Drop the segments into the pre-warmed pot.
- Add the thin coin of fresh ginger root, the two bruised thyme sprigs and the 2 Good Earth Chamomile and Grapefruit bags to the pot.
- Pour the 500ml of 95C water (cooled from the thirty-second stand) over the bags, the fruit and the herbs in the pot.
- Stir in the 2 tablespoons of acacia honey while the brew is still hot, until fully dissolved. Hot liquid dissolves honey cleanly.
- Cover the pot with its lid and steep for seven full minutes. The longer-than-cup steep is needed because the leaf load, the volume and the fresh-fruit infusion all want the extra time.
- After seven minutes, lift the tea bags from the pot with a teaspoon, do not press, and discard. Leave the fruit segments, the ginger coin and the thyme sprigs in the pot for the service.
- Pour the brew into the two small teacups through a small sieve, lifting a few grapefruit segments and a thyme sprig into each cup as you go. Slide a thin grapefruit round onto the rim of each cup.
- Bring the cups to the table on a small tray with the optional small jug of warm whole milk on the side. Serve straight away in the small ceramic cups; the cup is drunk slowly in small sips across the late-evening hour.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Good Earth Chamomile and Grapefruit, 15 Tea Bags 42g
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