Loose leaf tea

Quite by accident or maybe I should read more carefully what I pick up to buy I have ended up with hair conditioner rather than the shampoo I really wanted leaving me with an over abundance of conditioner.  The one time it turned in my favor was buying tea.  We were visiting friends in Chippewa, Canada.  Tracy does a good job of getting the guys to take us to Niagra On the Lake that is  beautiful scenic drive along the river from their home.  N.O.T.L. is  little town with old world feel, lots of specialty shops and very busy streets with people from all over the world visiting Canada.  The two shops I tend to be drawn to are the fudge/candy shop and Victoria's Tea House.  Probably you caught on, I love anything maple flavored!  At the candy shop, yep maple ceam fudge.  A little candy and a good cup of coffee or tea to cut the sweetness :) my kind of treat.

Victoria's has all kinds of tea, coffee and all the incidentals to brew a good cup or just plain look good with their tea pots, cups, sugar bowls, cream pitchers, etc.  I would always buy the Maple Creme Tea in bags.  Then I picked up the loose leaf can by mistake and didn't notice until we were home.  One of the best mistakes I have ever made.  The tea bag is not in the same league as loose leaf.  Comparable to instant  coffee vs fresh brewed.  I know, if someone tried to tell me this I would doubt that you could make tea taste better.  I have always been a coffee drinking and a snooty one at that, not just any kind will do. Unless there is no choice then anything will do :)   I would fix a cup of tea in the afternoon because I was the only one home and didn't want to be tempted to drink the whole pot.  Back to loose leaf, it is amazing and I hope all the tea drinkers give it a try.  You can buy special tea balls or make your own little bags to hold the loose leaf in.  I use Melitta coffee filters for the Keurig,  put the loose leaf in and tie it with string long enough to hang out of the cup or pot. I guess I am a little lazy because I really don't like cleaning the tea ball out every time.  With the little homemade bag I can just throw it out...Loose leave is long shreds not  tiny bits as in the tea bags.  The loose leaf teas I have tried do not have a bitter after taste and if a pot size is made it doesn't turn bitter before being used.  I have even reheated it and still not bitter.  I drink tea straight up, even ice tea.  That makes me a true northern girl..  LOL

Are you wondering.................how does Cheryl come up with something like writing about tea?  Well, coming home from MD today we went through Wellsboro and there in one of the shop windows was an ad that they stock over 40 kinds of loose leaf tea.  Bingo, I have something to write about!  Since I prefer loose leaf  it makes for a  perfect  "Pass it On" so others might try and enjoy.

The tea supply is low so one of these days we will be heading "north of the border" to visit friends, eat  fish and chips at Betty's Restaurant and then to N.O.T.L. for fudge and tea!

 Victoria's Tea comes in different style tins ♥