Tips 'n' Tools: Removing Caffeine

Recently The Other Williams and I toured the only tea plantation in the US, Charleston Tea Plantation. We both drink tea. Sweet tea in the summer on occasion and I have to have a hot mug of tea in the morning during the winter. There is just something so nourishing about hot tea, no matter what kind or flavor you like.
Anyway, while at the plantation learning all kinds of great stuff about tea and how it's produced, we learned that you can remove some of the caffeine in tea naturally.

Did you know...
- That in order to make decaf tea chemicals have to be added?
- The Charleston Tea Plantation uses no pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals on their tea plants?

I didn't either. I try to stay away from caffeine when I can but we've been buying the Charleston American Classic Tea for a year or so. Local all the way at our house! I make sweet tea when we have cook outs and for The Other Williams but I've been drinking a decaf tea when I partake. I was so happy to hear I could remove some of the caffeine and switch back to LOCAL tea!!

Here's the process:

Iced Tea (Moon Tea)
Heat releases the caffeine so instead of boiling the water, pour cold water over the tea bags and let it sit over night. It will steep but the caffeine won't come out as much.

Hot Tea
Pour boiling water over the tea bags and let it steep for 60 seconds. Then pour that cup of tea out and pour more hot water over the tea bags. The first cup (that your pour out) will contain most of the caffeine!