Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger: How to Brew It Properly

Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger: how to brew it

Lemon and ginger run on two different clocks: the lemon starts leaving the cup on the steam almost at once, while the ginger takes its time to come out. Brewing this well means holding on to the first while you wait for the second.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger: how to brew it, in summary: At 3g a bag, roughly twice a typical lemon and ginger, this one needs a covered mug and at least five minutes. Forgetting it does no harm: with no tea leaf, there is nothing in it that can turn bitter.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Lemon and ginger run on two different clocks: the lemon starts leaving the cup on the steam almost at once, while the ginger takes its time to come out. Brewing this well means holding on to the first while you wait for the second.

Twice the dose in every bag

Eighteen bags in 54g gives 3g a bag, about twice the 1.5g to 2g found in the lemon and ginger bags most people know. That matters because dried root and peel are bulky: a lightly filled bag can look generous yet brew weak, and that is the usual reason herb and fruit infusions disappoint. With this much in the bag, the cup has a fuller body and a warmth that lasts.

The lemon comes from peel, so it reads bright and zesty rather than juicy, and it is the first thing to reach your nose. The ginger underneath keeps growing for several minutes, well after a weaker bag would have stopped giving. There is no bitterness at all, and none is possible: tannin is what makes tea bitter, it only comes from tea leaf, and there is none in this box.

Cover it, then wait

The lemon scent is carried by oils from the peel, and they are light enough to drift off with the steam almost as soon as the water goes in. Cover the mug with a saucer for the first couple of minutes and they stay in the drink, and that small step matters more here than extra steeping time. Keep the box shut between cups for the same reason: when an old pack tastes flat, it is the lemon that has faded, not the ginger.

Then give it time. Dried ginger rehydrates slowly, so pull the bag at three minutes and you will mostly taste lemon. Five minutes is the minimum, eight does no harm, and a bag forgotten for ten simply makes a stronger cup rather than a harsher one. It holds up as it cools as well, so a mug left beside the keyboard is still worth drinking twenty minutes later.

Sweetening it, and the other Dalgety gingers

If you sweeten it, a little honey sits naturally with lemon and ginger; milk and citrus rarely get on, so we would leave it out. For honey already in the picture, the Strong Honey & Ginger in the same range is the heavier bag, 72g for eighteen. The Instant Ginger is the other route entirely, stirred into hot water when there is no time to steep.

It is caffeine free, since lemon peel and ginger root carry none and no tea leaf is named on the pack, so there was never any caffeine to remove. That makes it a mug for any hour, including late in the evening. Plain, buttery biscuits suit it best: they take the edge off the ginger without fighting the lemon.

The packs we stock

Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger Herbal, 18 Tea Bags 54g

What to eat with it

Britannia Good Day Butter Cookies, 216g: a plain butter cookie softens the ginger heat without clashing with the lemon.
Border Butterscotch Crunch Organic Biscuits, 135g: a crunchy, caramel-sweet biscuit that sits well against sharp lemon and heat.
Border Classic Biscuit Sharing Pack, 400g: a mixed sharing pack for the office, where a mug of this tends to sit and cool.

Elsewhere in the Dalgety range

The full range is on the Dalgety brand page.

FAQ

Can Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger go bitter? No. With no tea leaf there is no tannin, so leaving the bag in only makes the drink stronger.

How long should I steep it? Five minutes at least, and up to eight. At three minutes you will taste mostly lemon, because the ginger is slow to come out.

Why put a saucer over the mug? The lemon oils are the most volatile part of the blend and escape with the steam. Cover it for the first couple of minutes and they stay in the drink.

Is it a decaffeinated tea? No. With no tea leaf in it there was never any caffeine to remove, so nothing has been decaffeinated.

How strong is it compared with other lemon and ginger teas? About twice the usual dose: 3g a bag against the 1.5g to 2g of a typical lemon and ginger bag.

Curator's note: If it is your first box, pull the bag a little early; the ginger carries more heat than people expect. Once you know it, leave the bag in and let it build. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Dalgety Strong Lemon & Ginger: how to brew it

Field	Detail
Brand	Dalgety
Packs we stock	18 Tea Bags 54g
Category	Fruit & Herbal Tea
Caffeine	caffeine free
Steep	Five to eight minutes, covered
Can it stew?	No, it only gets stronger
Best with	Plain, buttery biscuits