Chai Concentrate

I love chai tea, chai lattes, chai anything really. I will make anything involving chai. As much as I enjoy a nice chai latte from starbucks, I know there's better out there. So, I decided to endeavor to make my own chai concentrate. I originally took this from my pinterest account (http://pinterest.com/bosticme28/) and then I tweaked it to how I like it. 

Chai Concentrate


4 1/2 C water
12 whole cloves
10 whole cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon
1 3 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 whole star anise pods
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
12 bags black tea (I mixed and matched)


1/2 C brown sugar
1 tbls honey
1 tbls vanilla


In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil. remove from heat and add: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, black pepper, nutmeg, orange zest, and tea bags and let steep for about 20 minutes. The longer you steep the stronger the taste, so watch out! Once done with the steeping, strain the mixture into a bowl, and discard the spices. Add the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla and stir until the sugar dissolves. I let it sit until it cooled down some, then poured it into a jar and stored in the fridge. Then add 1 part concentrate and 1 part milk, hot or cold, and so much yummier than a store bought one. :)