Iced Tea

Sue's birthday present from her husband...
this nice old pitcher and glasses

Want a good glass of Iced Tea without waiting for Sun Tea? There are several ways of making it, plain, flavored or sugared. Iced Tea is one of the simplest hot weather coolers to make and have on hand. Really the only thing is not to make more than you and your family can drink in three days and keep it refrigerated so it doesn’t go bad. 

  I don’t make Sun Tea. Don’t have the patience to fuss with it. (yes, I know it is simple, but you have to have a sunny day). Sweet Tea is best made with simple syrup. Solves the problem of getting the sugar dissolved. Sweet Tea is most always what you will get in any of the Southern or Southwest States.

  I am going to give you some ideas for making Iced Tea and hope some of them will work for you. 

   Traditional Iced Tea

Using 4 cups of water and 4 to 8 tea bags, bring fresh cool water to a full boil. Pour into a teapot (or the jar you are going to keep it in, Just be sure to rinse jar with very hot water so it will not crack). Cover and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let tea cool for 2 hours at room temperature. Serve over ice. Refrigerate leftovers.

   Iced Tea using the Lipton Tea recipe

On the Lipton pkg...1 Family size bag, 1 quart boiling water, steep 3-5 minutes, add 1 quart cold water (I add ice to make the cold water quart)

   Refrigerator Brewed Tea

This takes longer, but does not depend on the sun.

Place 6 to 8 tea bags in 1 ½ quarts cold water; cover. Let brew in the refrigerator about 24 hours. Remove tea bags and serve over ice. If this is stronger than you like add some very cold water to it in the glass. I would use half tea and ice and water to fill glass.

   Sweetened Ice Tea.

Using simple syrup (equal parts of sugar and water boiled 5 minutes) will give you the best Sweet iced tea. If you do not have simple syrup on hand in your refrigerator, try doing it the way I make it. 

  To about a cup and a half boiling water add ½ cup of sugar or 12 packets of Splenda. In your gallon jar put very hot tap water about ¾ of the way up. When sugar is dissolved in the boiling water, put 5 tea bags in jar (we like 4 raspberry and one regular tea bag) pour in the boiling sugar water and fill the jar up the rest of the way with very hot tap water. Let stand for about a half hour or until it is as strong as you like it. Pour over ice in a tall glass and garnish with some mint if you have some. Store rest in the refrigerator. You can add more tea bags if you like it stronger.