Vanilla Chai Tea Concentrate

Vanilla Chai Tea Concentrate

5 cups water(roughly about a liter)
10 black tea bags
2 cinnamon sticks
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
7 whole cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
2 whole star anise pods
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons sarsaparilla (optional, gives it a more vanilla taste)
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste or on halved vanilla pod
1/4-1/2 teaspoon turmeric(optional, I only use it when I am ill)
1/2 c coconut
1 cup brown sugar


Bring the water to a boil and spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat, add tea bags too the mixture, and steep an additional 10 minutes. Strain and add sugar, it may need to be re-heated to ensure the sugar fully mixes into the concentrate. Cool and store in the fridge(I have no idea how long it lasts as I've never made it to a week without going through it all).

The Concentrate will need diluting otherwise you make just end up seeing stars it is so strong! To make tea, I typically use 1 part concentrate, 1 part water, and 2 parts milk, because I love a good milky chai. This can be drank cold or warm.