Overview

In the following steps I will show you a quick, easy process to brew a chai concentrate for delicious Chai Lattes at home. No matter the season, this is sure to be an instant favorite. Not only can you save money by making your own concentrate, it's much quicker than stopping at your local Starbucks or Cafe.

The recipe was designed so you could mix around eight 16oz lattes. This way you only will have to brew once a week if you are a daily drinker. The concentrate is also 2 quarts which should fit into most standard pitchers. 2 wide mouth mason jars also work well!

First we will create a "basic" chai concentrate that will be good in the fridge for 1 week. After we master this, I'll go over different ways to personalize the recipe and give you a few drink idea's including the classic "Chai Latte."

Depending on your situation, this recipe can be done either in a crock pot or on the stove. I have also designed the recipe to dirty as few dishes as possible and use what you already have in your kitchen.

Step 1: Gather Ingredients & Materials

Materials Needed:

2 1/2 Quart+ - Saucepan or Crockpot

2 Quart+ - Pitcher w/ Lid or Two 1 Quart Mason Jars

1 Medium - Mesh Strainer (Ideally 4-6 inches)

1 Cup - Measuring Cup

1 Set - Measuring Spoons

1 - Knife

_______________________________

Ingredients needed:

8 Cup - Water

8 Bags - Black Tea

1 Cup - Honey

4 Tbsp - Cane Sugar

50 Pods - Dried Cardamom

20 Whole - Dried Cloves

8 Slices - 2" Fresh Ginger (About the size of a thumb)

5 Sticks - Cinnamon

1 Tsp - Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Bean

1/2 Tsp - Ground Nutmeg

________________________________

As mentioned, this recipe is designed to use ingredients and materials you most likely have in your kitchen. As for the spices, this is the one area you may have to venture outside your kitchen. The shelf life for all the dried spices is around 3 years so once you purchase them you should have them on hand for the next brew.

I tend to have better luck at health food stores with both price and quality of the spices. Most sell these spices in the bulk section which is great because you can buy the exact amount you need of each ingredient. If you don't have one nearby, don't fret! Your local supermarket spice isle should have everything you need.

Note: To cut down on dishes, I've tried to use XL tea bags instead of a strainer but I have found this to lengthen the brewing process.

Step 2: Brew (3-5 Hours)

3-5 hours!? You said this was quick!

Sure, 3-5 hours duration, but your actual work time is in the minutes.

Here's where your cooking style and toolkit makes a difference.

If you just want to throw everything together and forget about it for a few hours until you come back and steep the tea, the crockpot is the way to go.

If you are after that perfect chai concentrate and don't mind keeping a distant eye on your brew for a few hours, I would recommend using a quality saucepan. This method can also go a little faster.

Instructions:

Add 8 Cups of Water
Turn Stove/Crockpot on "High"
Peel and Slice Ginger into 8 thin strips (Credit card thickness)

Add entire ingredient list except the black tea (If you are using XL Tea Bags instead of a strainer - Add ingredients to tea bags then steep in pot.)

Stir until honey and sugar dissolve

Saucepan: Reduce temperature to medium/medium hot and let simmer for 3-4 hours. Check on your brew about every 20 minutes (You want it to be simmering but not boiling.)
Crockpot: Let simmer for 4-5 hours. (Most crock pots simmer at a lower temperature, note the difference in brew time.)

Tips: The sweet thing about the crock pot is you can leave it without worrying about burning down your house but I would recommend checking in on it every thirty minutes if you are around. This way you can tune the final taste of your concentrate to perfection (doesn't have enough cinnamon, not spicy enough, etc). Taste observations are most crucial in the last hour. This is why I prefer the using the stock pot, it forces me to keep checking my concentrate and seems to turn out better.

If you're not sure, I would error on a stronger concentrate. you can always add more milk to your latte.

Step 3: Steep (5 Min)

Taste to make sure concentrate is to your liking (Should be strong and spicy.) You will end up diluting it with other liquids for a final drink. If weak, let simmer for another 30-60 minutes.

Steep 8 "Black Tea" Bags for 4-5 Minutes.

Note: Black tea is ideally brewed just a hair under boiling (210°).

Step 4: Strain

Remove 8 tea bags and throw in compost
Set strainer over storage container
Pour concentrate into pitcher (I recommend doing this over the sink in case your aim is a little off.)

Note: I ended up using a funnel because the mouth of my pitcher was so small (A gift from my mom). Depending on your situation you may not have to do this!

Step 5: Mix Drinks

Now that you have this beautiful chai concentrate, what can you make with it?

Grab your favorite cup or mug and enjoy!

Here are a few favorite classics.

Classic "Chai Latte" (Hot or Iced)

1 Cup - Chai Concentrate

1 Cup - Milk

Warm both concentrate and milk on stovetop/microwave.

Also delicious as a summer drink, on the rocks!

Dirty "Chai Latte"

1 Cup - Chai Concentrate

1/2 Cup - Espresso or Strong Brew Coffee

Warm concentrate then add coffee

Irish "Chai Latte" (Hot or Iced)

1 Cup - Chai Concentrate

1 Cup - Milk

1 Shot - Irish Whiskey

Warm both concentrate and milk on stovetop/microwave.
Add Whiskey.

Also great as a summer drink, on the rocks!

Although these are my favorite, there are many more recipes that you can whip up with your Chai Concentrate. Just use the Google! The reason I like these is because once again, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.

I hope this helped you on your path to delicious Chai Latte's at home and hope the addiction doesn't grow too strong!