Homemade Chai Concentrate

Served hot or chilled, chai’s spicy flavor with an underlying creaminess is my idea of a comforting drink. It’s black tea brewed with warm spices  and sweetened with sugar and honey. I’ve ordered it at coffee/tea shops but the BEST cup of chai was one prepared by Raju Sivarama Dandu—it is the standard by which I now judge all others. Not sure I’ll ever be able to match his cuppa but decided to give this Homemade Chai Concentrate a chance. I love the idea of a concentrate that I can keep in the refrigerator. The recipes I found suggest a blend of 50% chai concentrate and 50% milk. I prefer to use about 25% milk and 75% chai.

Homemade Chai Concentrate 

5 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar sugar

8 black tea bags, remove tags and tie bags in a bundle

4 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

8 cloves

10 cardamom pods

5 black peppercorns

5 whole allspice

2” piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat. 
2. Add the tea bags, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, allspice and ginger. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. 
   
   
   
   
3. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl and discard the spices. Stir in the honey and vanilla extract.
   
   
   
4. Let the chai concentrate cool to room temperature before transferring to a jar and storing in the refrigerator.
5. Combine 1 part chai concentrate and 1 part milk (As mentioned above, I prefer 25% milk to 75% chai concentrate).
6. Heat the mixture or serve with ice.
   

Recipe without photos . . . Homemade Chai Concentrate 

5 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar sugar

8 black tea bags, remove tags and tie bags in a bundle

4 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

8 cloves

10 cardamom pods

5 black peppercorns

5 whole allspice

2” piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat. 
2. Add the tea bags, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, allspice and ginger. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. 
3. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl and discard the spices. Stir in the honey and vanilla extract.
4. Let the chai concentrate cool to room temperature before transferring to a jar and storing in the refrigerator.
5. Combine 1 part chai concentrate and 1 part milk (As mentioned above, I prefer 25% milk to 75% chai concentrate).
6. Heat the mixture or serve with ice.