Time for tea - the DIY way!

We all love to start the day with a cup of tea in hand and what better to enjoy it, than to make it yourself from scratch - from fresh leaf to warming cuppa. That's why we've got in some beautiful Camelia Sinesis plants, aka, the original ‘tea plant' - you get the double whammy of adding a bit of green to your home and making the most delicious tea!

White tea, green tea, oolong tea and dark tea are all harvested from the Camelia Sinesis but travel through different processes to attain varying levels of oxidation, or for us, taste and colour.

Now with a bit of DIY attitude, you can harvest your own tea leaves to brew your (possibly) first ever home made cup of tea to taste and here is how to get started.

Green Tea:

1. Harvest the youngest leaves, these will usually look like two leaves and a bud
2. Put the leaves in a sunny place to dry for a maximum of 15 minutes
3. Heat up the leaves in a wok for 4-6 minutes until they are soft
4. Carefully roll the leaves in your hands until they form a small ball
5. Allow the balls to dry at room temperature for one day
6. Have a seat make your own green tea and enjoy! – remember it is brewed with water of 80 degrees

Black Tea

1. Harvest the youngest leaves, these will usually look like two leaves and a bud
2. Put the leaves in a sunny place to dry until they are soft
3. Carefully braise the leaves in your hands
4. Allow the leaves to dry at room temperature for approximately 3 hours so they will start to oxidise
5. Put the tea in a preheated oven of 80 degrees for 2 hours
6. Dry the tea for another day at room temperature and your tea is ready
7. Take a seat and brew your tea using water of 100 degrees.

Too impatient or tired for all of this? Just boil the leaves fresh or even eat my leaves - they contain caffeine!