How to make perfect iced tea... southern style.

by Elsewhere 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  Elsewhere

  Recently I've had a few people tell me that my iced tea that I serve at home is exceptionally good so I thought I'd share the secret:

  First I'll review the mistakes most people make:

  1. Burn the tea by steeping it in water that is too hot.
  2. Steep the tea for too long. The "good stuff" comes out of the tea first... after five minutes the bitter stuff starts to come out.
  3. Squeeze the tea bags when finished steeping. This does not add any value and only forces out the bitter part of the tea.

  What you SHOULD do:

  1. Use Lipton, Luzianne or store-brand "family size" tea bags. The brand does not matter... they're all the same stuff in different boxes. The "family size" bags are the "big" tea bags, not the little ones.
  2. Use a microwave safe measuring cup to heat two cups of water for two minutes (about 155 F). The water should NOT be boiling or show any little bubbles.
  3. Put three "family size" tea bags in the water. Do not stir or bob the tea bags. Just push them under the water and leave them alone.
  4. Steep the tea for five minutes.
  5. After five minutes gently lft the tea bags out of the water and set asside
  6. Pour the two cups of tea into a two-liter pitcher and fill the rest of the pitcher with water.

  Optional:

  • For sweet tea: Add a slightly heaping 1/3 cup of sugar or calorie free sweener (the kind of sweetner that is, by volume, the same as sugar)
  • Add 1/4 cup of Peach Juice (This is more girly... but I like it )
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  dinah

  Never thought about the peach juice thingy. Sounds good actually. (I'm a girl so I can say that with no shame *ducks*)

  I'm still laughing about the apartment humor you posted earlier, Elsewhere.
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  Elsewhere

  lol... yeah I'm still chucking about "the ducks in the bathroom are not mine". One of these days, just as I'm starting to drive off from someone's house, I'm going to say that, and then quickly roll up the window and drive off.
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  Bumble Bee

  That's how I make my iced tea as well. Every time I go to the US I get the tea bags you are referring to, they just don't have them up here in Canada (atleast where I am).

  Not many of my Canadian friends like real brewed iced tea, they are used to the sweetened Liptons crap we can only get up here, but I usually win them over.

  I like to make a big batch of it, put it in my nicest glass pitcher and let it sit with slices of oranges, lemons and limes. Really nice presentation, and the citrus gives it a nice flavour.
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  Elsewhere

  > they are used to the sweetened Liptons crap

  Uggg... I hate that nasty crap!
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  YoursChelbie

  And when it's made the right way, by a sweet guy, you don't even need sugar.

  YC
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  aSphereisnotaCircle

  Sorry, Lipton is crap.

  I like Red Rose the best but you can't get it down south.

  I've drank ice tea all my life and currently drink about 3/4 gallon a day.

  My recipe is put 15 teabags in a clean gallon jug. Fill the jug up with HOT tap water. Let sit on the counter until it cools to room temp and then put it in the fridge. No bitterness at all.

  Up north here you cannot find brewed ice tea anywhere, restaurants only serve the powder crap. No wonder few people up here drink ice tea!
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  snowbird

  Never tried peach juice - only white grape, but I shall certainly remedy this.

  Thank you.

  Sylvia
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  babygirl75

  Luzianne Tea is the best IMO. I use a large 4 cup glass measuring bowl, put my water in it, with 4 Family size tea bags. Put in Microwave for 10 minutes. While that is going, put 1 cup of sugar in with the rest of the gallon of water in a pitcher. Once tea is ready, let sit for a few minutes and then transfer over to your gallon pitcher that has the sugar water. Wisk together.

  Funny...I absolutely hate lemon or any other flavoring with my tea!
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  drwtsn32

  calorie free sweener

  What's a sweener and how do I know if it's calorie-free?