Season a Yixing Teapot
You will need to prepare (also called seasoning) a new Yixing teapot before first use. It not only Clean a Teapot but also introduces the flavour of the tea to the teapot. If you are just going to use the teapot for decoration then you do not need to season it.
Contents
Steps
Filling Your Teapot with Tea
- Fill the teapot with boiling water and allow it to sit for ten minutes.
- Drain the water.
- Fill the pot with boiling water again and add one teaspoon of your favorite loose tea leaves. Remember, this should be the type of tea you will use this pot for. Allow to sit for ten minutes.
- Drain the tea. Now your pot is ready for use.
Submerging Your Teapot in Water
- Take the lid off the teapot and place the pieces in a vessel large enough to cover the pieces with water.
- Place some tea leaves in the water and bring to a slow boil (rapid boiling could damage your pot). Slow boil for an hour.
- Remove from the heat and let the pot remain in the water for twenty four hours.
- Remove the pot from the water and rinse well.
- Put the teapot back into the larger vessel and bring it to a slow boil again for an hour.
- Remove from heat and let it cool down again in the same tea water. The next day remove the teapot and rinse it in hot water. It is now ready to use.
Using a Water Pot
- Gather together 1 large water pot (the kind one uses to boil water for spaghetti), tongs, paper towels, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of a pure mineral water or filtered water, plastic wrap, the tea destined for your pot.
- Gently rinse any manufacturing dust/residue from the inside of your Yixing ware with cold water. Then, with dry paper towels wipe out the inside of your Yixing ware to make sure you get all the dust/residue. If not, this is a very unpleasant taste.
- Bring {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of water to a rolling boil. The amount of water depends on the size of the teapot. You want to make sure that the amount of water is enough to completely submerse your teapot, tea set, or other Yixing ware.
- Cut the heat immediately after the water comes to a boil. Add 3-5 teaspoons of tea to the water, and let steep for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, with the tongs, ever so gently submerse your Yixing ware into the brew.
- Let stand for at least 30 minutes, or until the heat from the water pot is no longer a danger. Then wrap the top of the pot with plastic wrap to "seal" the pot. The curing process lasts exactly one week from the day of submersion. Check on the Yixing ware periodically throughout the week.
- Gently remove your Yixing ware from the pot and rinse with cold water on the seventh day. Never use soaps of any kind on your Yixing ware.
- Allow pot to dry completely. Now your Yixing ware is completely cured and ready for use!
Things You'll Need
(for Gerenda Method)
- 1 large water pot
- Tongs
- Paper towels
- Plastic wrap
- Tea
- {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of pure mineral water or filtered water
