Iced Tea

Iced tea is a staple regardless of where you live. It’s a simple beverage to make, and can be paired with any meal. The type of tea you like is deeply personal. Some people prefer a strong flavor, while others like it light and sweet. Regardless of how you like it, here are some simple tips and interesting twists to try for your next pitcher of iced tea.

Using the Right Water

Many people don’t realize just how important the right quality of water is to the flavor of their iced tea. The right water is the first step in knowing how to brew iced tea perfectly. If you live in an area where the water supply has to be heavily treated, like near coastal regions, then the tap water may taste strange. If you don’t like drinking water from the tap, you’re not going to enjoy iced tea this way either. You can purchase filters for your kitchen sink that will clean this of the odd taste. The other option is to purchase water by the gallon in your local grocery store. If you use fresh tasting water you’ll have a much better iced tea to enjoy later.

Iced Tea Strength

A common misconception is that the longer you brew the tea, the stronger it will be. The truth is, it’s not the length of the brew time, but the amount of tea you use. If you use too few tea bags to make your tea and count on long brewing time, you’ll end up with a dark colored tea with a bitter flavor. You’re better off using more tea for a shorter period of time. If you’ve made a batch that is too bitter, a tiny pinch of baking soda can help cut back on the bitterness and allow you to save the brew. An iced tea maker can take a lot of the guesswork out, since you use a specified amount of tea and the iced tea brewer does the rest.

Adding Sugar

A lot of people will add sugar to the cold tea and stir to create a sweet drink. In theory this sounds good, but the sugar will never fully dissolve in the cold water. Instead of adding the sugar to the tea after it’s brewed, add the tea while the water is still hot. This will allow the sugar to fully dissolve, creating a more even flavor throughout. Consider making simple syrup and keeping it on hand if you don’t want to presweetened tea on hand. This way guests can choose to sweeten theirs the way they like, and your household can do the same. To make simple syrup use 4 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring the mix to a boil in a sauce pan. Reduce the heat immediately and stir until the sauce is thick. Allow the mix to cool completely (remember, sugar gets extraordinarily hot when boiled), and store in an airtight container for later use.

Add A Fruity Twist

Adding ice to brewed tea is a great way to keep it cool, but it can also water down the flavor of the tea as the ice melts. You can make special ice cubes to help combat this. Try adding frozen fruit to the ice cube tray before you add the water to freeze. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries work great for this. Raspberry iced tea is very popular, and this is an easy way to make it. The ice will take on a slightly fruity flavor, and as the ice melts the iced tea will take on a fruity flavor as well.

Sun Tea

Sun iced tea is a favorite way to brew all across the country. You want a glass iced tea container that you can clean well for this. Place 4-6 tea bags in the container, and add water. Place the container in a sunny spot for no more than5 hours. Refrigerate and add the syrup after. This type of iced tea has a mellow flavor when compared to traditionally brewed tea.

Southern Sweet

Of the many things the South is known for, its tea may be one of the best kept secrets. This tea is very sweet, but is still quite refreshing. For this you want 4 cups of water, 10 tea bags (3 if you’re using the family size tea) of orange pekoe tea, at least 1 cup of simple syrup, and a dash of baking soda. To make this you’ll boil the water in a pan. Add the tea bags and the baking soda. Once it’s brewed to your liking, pull the bags out and add the syrup in. Cool the tea, and continue to sweeten after to your liking. Sweet tea is best when it’s consumed with in a few days of brewing.

Arnold Palmer Tea

Named after the golfer that made this concoction famous, Arnold Palmer tea is half tea half lemonade. Simply use your favorite lemonade recipe and mix it in with your favorite tea. One of the best things about this blend is you don’t need to add additional sweetener. The lemonade provides enough kick to allow you to leave the sugar out. While lemon iced tea is popular, this is a much sweeter way to make iced tea.