I am an odd Seattleite, in that I have never been a fan of coffee. When I was a kid and my parents brewed coffee in the mornings, I thought it smelled absolutely disgusting. As I got into my teen years in the 90s, coffeehouse culture was a big thing and I continued to find my friends’ love of this stinky, bitter drink completely mystifying. I’ve never understood what people like about it, and to this day I make a face when a sweetie kisses me with coffee breath.

I’ve been teased for this aversion (in a good-natured way!), to the extent that back in 1999, my boyfriend Matt begged me to “find SOMETHING to order at a coffee shop” so that we could go hang out in the loungy chairs and be like the cool, disaffected kids wearing flannel and obsessing over Nirvana. Masala chai was my answer to his plea, but I always got it with soy milk which didn’t incorporate very well into the chai. It was not an ideal experience, even if I did like the warm & spicy taste of the tea, but I think that’s why I didn’t adopt the habit at the time.

When my wife and I were in San Francisco a few years ago, my friend Jess asked me if I wanted anything when they picked up coffee. I had a random hankering for a chai, and while we were hanging out I realized that I could probably make it myself if I wanted. If you know me, you know that’s the first step down a long rabbit trail obsession of research and tinkering.

Now more than three years later, I drinking chai (almost) every day. I now understand why so many people in my life have said “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee.” Masala chai (typically made with black tea) may only have about half the caffeine content as coffee, but I can definitely tell the difference in the wakefulness of my brain if I don’t have it. I have a lot more empathy for my caffeine-addicted friends than I used to, and mine is a mere fraction of theirs. I now actually appreciate when I’m given a Starbucks card, because I have a reason to use it when I’m not able to make chai at home.

So, Matt: Mission accomplished. It only took about 30 years!

Molly with their housemate, Maggi, when Maggi brought them chai on their vacation in the Caribbean

What’s ironic is that now that I’ve been making my own chai at home for three years, it’s gotten to the point where I don’t know why I bother trying masala chai at coffeeshops anymore. I’m always so disappointed! I guess after a couple of years making my own, I’ve gotten snobby about other blends. Have I gotten to the point where I need to travel with my canned quarts of my blend, and pack my milk frother? I’d ask if I am ready to be THAT extra, but if you know anything about my apple cider adventures, you can probably answer that question for us.

When I decided to investigate making my own chai concentrate, I did some research into recipes, and ended up combining a couple of the ones I liked best. I also looked up how to can tea in a water bath, just to make sure there was nothing special or different from what I do when I make jams. (There’s not.) In fact, black tea’s high acidity makes it an ideal candidate for safe home water bath canning.

I primarily used a recipe from the Sweet Steep Tea Blog. The amount of sugar called for in the Sweet Steep recipe seemed extreme to me, so I cut it by about half. In retrospect I think they were right. My recipe reflects the full amoun

Molly’s 6x base chai recipe (more or less)

While the satisfaction of homemade creations motivated my chai-making endeavors, the cost-saving benefits were an added bonus. If you’re wanting to do this to save some pennies, here’s how it breaks down:

$5* – 16oz Vanilla Chai Starbucks Latte
$4* – 1qt Oregon Chai concentrate (1 week, if consuming one 16oz drink daily)
$10-15* – Chai spice ingredients (obviously this depends on how much and where you buy them, but this is my approximation for ~3 months of DIY chai concentrate ingredients, which should make up to 16 quarts of concentrate.)

*These costs are “ish” because costs obviously depend on where you live, and the quality of ingredients you are able to purchase. I bought most of my ingredients from PCC Community Markets here in the Seattle area because they have organic bulk spices, but I highly recommend Penzey’s if you can’t get some of the specialized ingredients (like cardamom pods) locally. That will also drive up the cost, unfortunately.

Masala Chai Tea Concentrate

Recipe by Molly Colleen

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: DrinksCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium

Yield (in quarts)

quarts

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hour

minutes

This recipe is a soothing treat for a warm autumn or winter day, or a refreshing boost in the summer. The ample amount of ginger gives this recipe a zest that will tingle the tastebuds.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

US Metric

Basic Chai Ingredients
5 cups water
1 whole star anise
12 whole cloves
8 whole green cardamom pods
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
.25 teaspoon nutmeg
1.5 ounce ginger root
3 Tablespoon loose Celyon black tea
Optional Ingredients
1 whole vanilla bean
.5 teaspoon fennel seeds
.5 teaspoon allspice
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Sweeteners
.25 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

Making Masala Chai Concentrate
Fill a large pot with the amount of water called for in the first set of ingredients, and set aside.
Crush anise, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns (and allspice, and fennel, if using) using a mortar + pestle. A course grind is all that’s needed to release the oils in the spices.^*
Add the cinnamon sticks and ground nutmeg to a pan with the crushed spices, and toast over low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Watch carefully so the spices do not burn.
Add the toasted spices to the water.
Roughly chop ginger root and add to the pot with the spices.
If using a vanilla bean, slice the vanilla bean lengthwise, press the sides open, scrape out the seed, and add both the seeds and the whole pod to the pot with the spices. (Can substitute with vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla beans, but do this after you’ve strained the tea from the concentrate.)
Bring the water to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer the spices in the water for 5-10 minutes.
After the spices have simmered, return mixture to a boil and then remove from heat.
Stir in the loose tea, and let steep for 3-5 minutes. DO NOT OVER-STEEP THE TEA! Black tea becomes bitter when over-steeped.
As soon as the tea has finished steeping, immediately remove the tea by pouring it through a mesh strainer or colander into a large bowl, pitcher, or another pot. If using a brew bag or muslin cover, pour the concentrate through the brew bag to catch the spice silt after the initial pour to remove the tea.
While the concentrate is warm, add vanilla extract and sweeteners, if using.
If canning the chai concentrate, skip to the Canning Masala Chai Concentrate instructions to finish the process.
If you are not canning the concentrate, fill clean glass jar with the chai concentrate. Place lid on jar(s), and apply band. Adjust band until fit is fingertip-tight. Allow concentrate to cool down to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. Chai that is not canned in a water bath should be good for up to 2 weeks.
Canning Masala Chai Concentrate
Prepare a water bath and jars according to the Fresh Preserving instructions.
When you are ready to can your chai concentrate, remove your jars from the water bath, and return the water bath to a boil.
Fill jar(s) with chai concentrate. Wipe the rim and threads of the jar using a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue. Center lid on the jar, allowing sealing compound to contact the jar rim. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip-tight. Place jar in water bath. Repeat until all jars are filled. Ensure water covers jars by 1-2 inches.
Process in the boiling water for 10 minutes. When complete, shut off heat and remove the pot’s lid. Allow jars to rest in canner for 5 minutes to be acclimated to the outside temperature.
Move jars from canner and set upright on a towel. This will prevent jar breakage that can occur from temperature differences. Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. DO NOT retighten bands as this may interfere with the sealing process.
Inspect lids for seals. There should be no flex when center is pressed. Remove the bands and attempt to lift lids off with your fingertips. Properly sealed lids will remain attached. If a lid fails to seal within 24 hours, immediately refrigerate the product.
Once the jars have cooled, label them and store in a cool, dry, dark place for up to for up 18 months.
Serving Masala Chai Concentrate
These instructions assume you’re making a 16 oz chai (a Starbucks grande size.) Adjust the recipe to make more or less by maintaining a 1:1 ratio between the chai and milk. The type of milk may be adjusted to your dietary preferences.
To make hot chai: Measure 4oz of concentrate, and add 4oz water to it, so that you have a 1:1 ratio of chai concentrate:water. Pour into your coffee mug. Warm the chai in the microwave or over the stovetop. In a separate pot, warm 8 oz of milk to 150 degrees. Milk may be frothed or steamed, to your preference. Add milk to chai, and enjoy.
To make iced chai: Measure 4oz of concentrate, and add 4oz water to it. Pour into your drink container filled with ice, and add 1 part milk. Enjoy!

Notes

I highly recommend having at least two deep pots for this, particularly if you are going to double or triple the batch. I typically triple the recipe and end und up with 6-7 quarts of chai concentrate.

For step #10 under “Making the masala chai concentrate”, I am able to prevent the tea from oversteeping by using the a large pot with a deep pasta insert, as linked below. When the tea is finished steeping, I pull the insert out, which carries with it all of the tea as well as the spices. I let it drain until it is just dripping.

After that, I pour the chai concentrate into another large, deep pot that has been lined with a brewer’s bag, also linked in the equipment area below. This bag catches any remaining larger particles that I don’t want left in my tea. When I lift the brewer’s bag out, it has usually caught some ginger, and some of the larger spices that were small enough to make it through the pasta insert. What is left after that is a gentle silt that I don’t mind remaining in my tea. I always shake my jars thoroughly before I make my tea each morning, prior to pouring the concentrate into my liquid measuring cup.

If you are going to go to the additional step of canning the chai (which I highly recommend, particularly if you are planning to double or triple the batch), it would be wise to invest in a large, high-quality water bath pot for canning. The one that I have accommodates 7 jars that are each 1 quart in volume.
If you don’t want to grind your spices by hand with a mortar & pestle, a small spice grinder will also work. If you go this route, I recommend that you only briefly grind the spices so that they stay corse.

Equipment

1 quart mason jarsBall Regular Mouth Quart Jars (32oz)
Brew bagBrew Bags Extra Large 2 Pack 250 Micron (22″×26″)
Large pot with deep pasta insertCuisinart 4-Piece Cookware Set, 12 Quarts, Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Pasta/Steamer
Spice grinderKrups One-Touch Coffee and Spice Grinder
Liquid measuring cupsPyrex 2 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set
Wooden spoonWooden Spoon for Cooking, 14 Inch Maple

Masala Chai Tea Concentrate