Iced Tea 101?

[sarahsthreads]

As I sit here drinking my giant $1 McD's unsweetened iced tea, I realize that it's become a bit of an addiction. And while it's not that expensive, has completely broken my previous addiction to soda, and I only get it when I'm out and about anyway, I'm kind of thinking I'd like to make it at home. I'm also finding that I make excuses to be out and about before naptime so I can swing through the drive-through for my iced tea fix. At least I'm good about only getting iced tea, and not adding fries to that. ;)

Obviously I know *how* to make iced tea myself (brew tea, add ice, drink!) but how do you make it so it's always on hand? I used to make sun tea (long, long ago, in another lifetime pre-kids) but I vaguely remember reading that that's actually a bad way to brew it because it can grow bacteria...somehow? Or is that still OK?

So, container - glass, plastic, other? Do you brew the tea on the counter or in the fridge? Do you leave the bags in until the tea is gone? How long can it stay good in the fridge? And (I only ask this because I have a friend who swears you're not supposed to) do you wash the pitcher out between batches?

Reading back over this post, I'm feeling kind of stupid... :D I promise I'm not completely incompetent in the kitchen!

TIA!
Sarah :)

[luza]

My family makes an iced tea with mint, lemon, and cloves. They brew *very* strong tea in a tea pot, then pour it into a metal soup pot that already has sugar, 3-4 whole cloves, the juice and rind of 1-2 lemons, and lots of fresh mint and pound it all a bit with a wooden spoon. The hot tea helps dissolve the sugar and extract the flavors from the mint, lemon rind, and cloves. When it cools a bit they add add ice until the melting ice waters down the tea to the strength they like. Then any tea that isn't finished right away goes into the refrigerator to stay cool.
It is amazingly good.

[MoJo]

DH is totally into Lipton Cold Brew, because you just put the bag in cold water. (I think they have glass and pitcher size).

Basically, it's nearly instant iced tea, and he likes that he can have it whenever he wants.

[avd3875]

What a timely post. I am sitting here enjoying a glass of iced tea right now. I always get iced tea at In-N-Out Burger, but can't go there without also getting a burger and fries, so I decided it is time to have iced tea at home.
So far, I've done what my mom has always done. In the morning I put a tea bag (TJ's decaf english breakfast) in the teapot that came with my Mrs. Tea Maker (sadly, the Mrs. Tea died years ago, but the teapot is still great). By the time I'm ready for lunch the tea has cooled down a bit and I just pour it in a glass with ice. One pot of tea seems to last me the whole day, then make a fresh pot the next morning.

[megv]

I am a huge iced tea drinker, and I have fiddled around with the best way to make it for years.

Currently, I use a glass pitcher - 60oz size I think? I fill it with hot water, then add 2 family size Lipton tea bags. I brew for varying lengths of time, depending on whether I want it stronger or weaker. I let the iced tea cool on the counter for several hours. I usually wind up moving it to the fridge later in the day - depends on how much is left. A pitcher usually lasts 1-2 days in my house, as both DH and I drink it.

I do add fresh lemon and occasionally a bit of Splenda.

I do not always wash the pitcher in between - usually only every few rounds.

[sunshine873]

So many options, but here's what I typically do.

I like my tea sweetened, but you could just skip the sweetener part.

I use Lipton Black Tea - Iced Tea Blend & basically follow the Quick Chill directions:

I boil 4 cups of water & then put in 2 tea bags for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags and pour tea into a 2 quart container with sweetener. Stir well. I use just over 1/8 cup of granulated splenda. I used to use sugar (I think about 1/4 cup.) The hot tea dissolves the sugar or splenda. This is what makes "sweet tea" taste different than unsweet tea with sweetener added in.
Add 4 more cups of water, stir & pour over ice or refrigerate.

I have a friend that must have fresh tea every day. I personally think it's fine for a few days in the fridge - it's gone by the time we get to day 3 or 4. I am embarrassed to admit that I don't wash the pitcher out every time. Usually after 2 or 3 batches.

[Tondi G]

I like the passion fruit/ tropical iced tea ... paradise Iced Tea is yummy. they have regular and decaf

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EQ5MB6/ref=nosim/affsoftware81-20

I would use a glass pitcher or jar with a spigot to make it easy to dispense from the fridge.

[jellibeans]

I use this Iced Tea maker:
Mr Coffee Iced Tea Maker (http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-TM70-3-Quart-Iced-Tea/dp/B001J5FN48/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1272922722&sr=8-2)

[fortato]

I can NEVER get my iced tea to taste right, NEVER. So, I buy the gigantic jug of it a Trader Joe's.

I did buy a great fruity tea at Teavana that I can get to come out good, but when I want just plain tea, It is always bitter....

I need lessons.

[m448]

I cold brew all my tea these days whether it's cold brew or not. For black tea I put 3-4 bags of luzianne family sized tea bags in a gallon of water and stick it in the fridge. I let it steep for 4-6 hours, take out the tea bags and then we drink and it's gone in a couple of days.

[Cam&Clay]

Southerner here...here's how we did it EVERY DAY.

Now, we were one of the few southern families who drank unsweetened tea. My mother weaned us off the sugar by gradually reducing the amount of sugar she put in the tea because she thought it was healthier for us. Good for her because now I can't stand sweetened tea.

Anyway, every day she would boil a small pan of water on the stove. When it boiled, she added 5 regular lipton tea bags tied together or 2 of the family size ones. After this super concentrated tea cooled, she poured it in a 2 quart pitcher and filled it the rest of the way with cold water. She added a drip of lemon juice and that was it.

A new pitcher had to be made every day because you cannot put tea in the refrigerator. Why? Because it makes it cloudy and apparently serving cloudy ice tea is a one way ticket to h3ll for a southern woman.

Did I mention that this happened EVERY DAY? You had tea with lunch and dinner. No milk. No water. Tea only.

[sarahsthreads]

A new pitcher had to be made every day because you cannot put tea in the refrigerator. Why? Because it makes it cloudy and apparently serving cloudy ice tea is a one way ticket to h3ll for a southern woman.

I had no idea that putting tea in the refrigerator made it cloudy!

So it sounds like there are a lot of options for making tea, but I think my first task should be to find a good container. And then I'll just have to experiment with the cold brew/hot brew counter/fridge washing/not washing stuff. By the end of the summer, hopefully I'll have it right! :)

Thanks!
Sarah :)

[Laurel]

I just get this from Trader Joes:

http://www.tejava.com/

[MommyofAmaya]

We LOVE iced tea, but for some reason, cannot make a tasty version at home. We buy a gallon a couple times a month or so from Chik-fil-a, Luby's or if we are in the area, McAlister's Deli. They have the best iced tea I have ever tasted. If you haven't tried it, see if there is one in your area.. and don't skip the lemon!:54: