Best Iced Tea recipe

[Janet H]

It's summer and time for iced teas. Do you have a favorite iced tea? A perfect method or cool tip?

I make a variant of sun tea but the blend of tea bags makes this my favorite.

1 gal hot tap water
7 bags Red Rose brand tea
3 bags earl gray tea

Place tea bags in pitcher add water and leave on counter for 8 hours (overnight). Remove tea bags and chill tea . Make sure that tea container is airtight.

I'm not sure why but Red Rose make fabulous iced tea - I go out of my way to find it in the summer.

[Andy M.]

I use more tea bags and add sugar and lemon juice so it's all pre mixed. I typically brew the tea in half the amount of water then dissolve the sugar and add the lemon then add ice and ice water to make up the balance of the water. That way I have the heat to brew the tea and dissolve the sugar and the addition of the ice and cold water speeds the chilling process.

[Barbara L]

For James's tea, I use 4 family size LUZIANNE tea bags to a gallon. I add about 1/3 of the water to it, almost boiling, to steep the tea bags, then I add cold water and refrigerate. James likes his tea with no sweetener.

For my tea (or as James calls it, pancake syrup) I do it the same way, but when I add the almost boiling water, I add one of three things. For my favorite tea, I add close to 2 cups of sugar for a gallon pitcher. For my second favorite, I use about 1/2 cup sugar and the rest store brand Splenda. For my least favorite, but still good (when I'm trying to be good, lol), I use store brand Splenda and no sugar.

I discovered Luzianne tea 15-20 years ago and have preferred it over any other since. I can always tell when a restaurant is using Luzianne. So smooth, and perfect for iced tea.

Barbara
P.S. Because of something stupid my cousin and I did when I was 10 and he was 5, I cannot stand lemon in my tea, so I just drink my tea plain, with sugar/sweetener.

[kadesma]

I brew 6-8 bags of green tea Making it strong,then I add a bottle of snapple mango madness to it. Chill well and add lots of ice to me glass. The best.
kades

[babetoo]

i just put eight to ten tea bags (black tea, usually store brand) into pitcher, add hottest tap water, about two quarts. let steep fifteen minutes or until i remember it is there. pull out bags and lightly squeeze liquid out. i add 1/2 to 3/4 cup splenda, not choice here but necessity. put in fridg. till cold and serve over ice. i love a squeeze of lemon but can live without it.

[PattY1]

Originally Posted by babetoo

i just put eight to ten tea bags (black tea, usually store brand) into pitcher, add hottest tap water, about two quarts. let steep fifteen minutes or until i remember it is there. pull out bags and lightly squeeze liquid out. i add 1/2 to 3/4 cup splenda, not choice here but necessity. put in fridg. till cold and serve over ice. i love a squeeze of lemon but can live without it.

Hot tap water could include sediment from the bottom of the water heater and make your tea taste funny.

[PrincessFiona60]

I steep whatever tea we are enjoying at the time (8 tea bags) in 1 quart of water and pour it into a gallon jar filled with ice cubes. Sugar as needed in the glass, no lemon for me.

[spork]

My every day iced tea is actually not tea. Roasted barley. mugi-cha. Steeped in room temp tap for about two hours, then refrigerated. Straight up, no ice. Tastes a bit like a light stout beer without the fizz or alcohol.

[Kimber]

I boil up a gallon or so water. Pour it in my big pitcher and add 5-6 Tetley teabags, 2 Raspberry herbal teabags, 2/3 cup sugar, and Squeeze the juice of a lemon in. I use a sieve for the lemon because I don't want seeds or pulp. Then it cools on the counter and goes in the fridge. 2 days later, repeat!

Kades, the Mango thing sounds really good. And Spork! Very original! I think my daughter would like that. I'll pass it on.

[Andy M.]

At one time, I used a can of frozen lemonade concentrate to sweeten and flavor iced tea.