Q: While looking for black tea leaves for the chai tea recipe, I found a bunch of different teas that I'd forgotten about (both bagged and loose leaf). Most are over four years old. Oops. Besides brewing, do you have suggestions on ways they can be used?
Sent by Diana
Editor: Diana, we love these cookies — they're a lovely way to use up a bit of tea. Also try putting it in cakes and other baked goods.
• Recipe: Earl Grey Tea Cookies
Also check out this post:
• The Quickest Way to Use Up Flavored Teas You Don't Want to Drink
Readers, what else would you suggest?
Related: Looking for Creative Tea Storage Ideas
(Image: Faith Durand)
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My family loves using black tea rubs on baked salmon. We don't have a specific recipe, but here's a link to one I just found via Google. There are surely many more recipes online!
http://www.roanoke.com/food/recipes/wb/248135
Be careful with it! Tea can get a very stale taste to it the older it gets. Also, depending on how it was stored, the leaves can grow mold.
Assuming none of these things have happend I'd say bake with it! There are some recipies for cakes and what not that include tea. You can also use tea as marinade for meats!
I swear by this cake: http://mojewypieki.blox.pl/2010/08/Babka-z-herbata-Lady-Grey.html
Lovely tea cake....with tea :) Everybody loves it but can't guess the secret ingredient :)
Enjoy!
Karolina
http://confetticookies.blogspot.com/
If they are stale, you could make tea pillows! (you can make them with dried used tea leaves too)
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/Tea_Pillows
black teas and dark roasted teas should be ok for baking and drinking when it gets older, but lighter roast or unroasted teas such as green teas may have already lost their flavor.
Cupcakes! Depending on the type of tea, you can steep the leaves in milk and use it in cake batter--and even the frosting. Otherwise, if they're still good, bring them to work and stick them near the hot water/coffee machine. They'll disappear eventually.
I would use them for tea dyeing linen; I can't imagine that tea that's four years old still has much flavor.
Brew up the teas and use the leaves and water for your plants. Spent tea leaves and coffee grounds are perfect for plants. Word of caution though, if using on inside plants, beware of a possibility of fungus gnats. Best used outside to avoid this.
I'll second the spice rub suggestion. Although I've never tried it with chai, I DO use Earl Grey for a steak rub that's superb.
You could also experiment with using it for.smoking - no not THAT way! I meant to make something like Chinese Tea Smoked duck.
After 4 years I'd skip the culinary route. Either use it to dye, make sachets for your lingerie drawer, or take tea baths. Black tea is fantastic for dry and sunburned skin, and it smells heavenly. Just tie 4 or 5 bags to the spigot so that the water runs over them as the tub fills.
Use your tea for smoked tea eggs or salmon or duck, etc. This technique uses up quite a bit of tea and is pretty fun and tasty! A few links you might like:
Tea Smoked Duck Breasts, Gourmet Magazine
How to Make and Use Tea Smoking Packets, Fine Cooking
Tea Smoked Trout, The Guardian
Four years old? I can so relate :) At this point, I'd use it for dye as others have suggested. Or, on a non-food related note, brew various blends in various strengths & use it to create your own diy art on watercolor paper. You might just be amazed..
Speaking of unloved tea, does anyone have a suggestion for what I can do with Celestial Seasonings Roastarama Herb Tea other than drink it as tea? I love the smell and the tea tastes OK hot but once it gets cool, it tastes awful.