Contributed by Paula & Al

This is a delicious & fairly simple recipe from the website, Gimme Some Oven. If you happen to be a chai tea lover, you can make it & keep it in your fridge. Plus, you get to decide how sweet it is. ☺

Ingredients:

• 12 cardamom pods, gently crushed
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
• 4 cups water
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole allspice (optional)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar (more or less to taste)
• 2 star anise
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced down the middle
• 4 black tea bags

Bring all ingredients except tea bags together to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, & simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Add tea bags to the saucepan, put the lid on, & let steep for 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer over a large bowl & reserve the liquid for concentrate, let cool to room temperature.

Mix equal parts concentrate with water or milk to make chai tea. (Whole milk is delicious!) Serve it hot or cold. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. (I store it in glass canning jars.)