In preparing tea a good economist will be careful to have the best water, that is, the softest and least impregnated with foreign mixture; for if tea be infused in hard and in soft water, the latter will always yield the greatest quantity of the tannin matter, and will strike the deepest black with sulphate of iron in solution.
2297. Tea-making
Dr. Kitchiner recommends that all the water necessary should be poured in at once, as the second drawing is bad. When much tea is wanted, it is better to have two tea-pots instead of two drawings.
2298. Another Method
The water should be fresh boiled, not exhausted by long boiling. Scald the teapot and empty it; then put in as much water as necessary for the first cups; put the tea on it as in brewing, and close the lid as quickly as possible. Let it stand three minutes and a half, or, if the quantity be large, four minutes, then fill the cups. This is greatly superior to the ordinary method, the aroma being preserved instead of escaping with the steam, as it does when the water is poured on the tea.
2299. Substitute for Cream in Tea or Coffee
Beat the white of an egg to a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well. Then stir it in gradually, so that it may not curdle. If perfectly mixed, it will be an excellent substitute for cream.