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Homemade Chai Concentrate (Better Than High Street)

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If you are buying those cartons of Tazo concentrate or spending £4 at a coffee shop every morning, you are missing out. The commercial stuff is often overly sweet and lacks the "spicy" kick of real masala chai.

This homemade syrup allows you to control the sugar and dial up the ginger and cardamom. It costs pennies to make, keeps in the fridge for weeks, and makes your house smell incredible. Just mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk.

A glass bottle filled with dark chai concentrate next to cinnamon sticks
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Yield1 Litre (8 Lattes)

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Water
  • 6-8 Bags of Strong Black Tea (or 3 tbsp loose leaf Assam)
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (or Honey/Maple Syrup)
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • The Spices (Do not use powder):
  • 2 inch piece Fresh Ginger (Sliced thin)
  • 4 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 8 Green Cardamom Pods (Crushed)
  • 6 Whole Cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
  • 1 Star Anise (Optional)
Nutrition per serving (concentrate only):
Calories: 45
Fat: 0g
Sugar: 11g
caffeine: 30mg

Instructions

1
Crush: Take your cardamom pods and lightly crush them with the back of a knife or a mortar so the seeds inside are exposed. This releases the oils.
2
Simmer: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. The water should turn a light amber color.
3
Steep: Remove the pot from the heat. Add the tea bags (or loose leaf). Cover the pot and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Note: If you steep too long, the tea tannins will make it bitter.
4
Sweeten: Remove the tea bags immediately. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl or pitcher to remove the spices. While the liquid is still hot, whisk in the sugar (or honey) and vanilla until dissolved.
5
Store: Let it cool to room temperature, then pour into a glass bottle or jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before using.

How to Serve

Iced Chai Latte: Fill a glass with ice. Pour 1/2 cup concentrate and 1/2 cup milk (oat milk is fantastic here). Stir.

Hot Chai Latte: Mix equal parts concentrate and milk in a mug and heat in the microwave or on the stove. Top with cinnamon.

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