Chai Tea Concentrate

Chai tea is an Indian drink that you make by steeping various spices in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar.  You can buy pre-made mixes or spice blends, but this concentrate is a great thing to keep in your fridge.  It's super easy to make and is a great drink for a cold winter night.  I gave the jar I made as a christmas gift (hence the packaging).
verify


Makes about 4 pint-sized servings
Ingredients:
4 cups water
10 teaspoons of loose black tea (or 10 teabags)
8 whole cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
2 whole star-anise pods (the whole star)
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed with the back of a knife
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
the zest of 1/2 an orange
1/4 of a vanilla bean pod
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey

Instructions:
1) In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil.
2) Remove from heat, add everything EXCEPT the sugar and honey.  Cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.  You can put the ground spices into a loose teabag to make straining easier.
3) Strain into a bowl using cheesecloth or a very fine meshed strainer and then stir in the sugar and honey until fully dissolved.
4) Store in a jar or any clean container in the fridge until ready to use.

To prepare the Chai tea, mix equal parts hot chai concentrate and steamed milk.  You can adjust these amounts to your taste.  Enjoy!