Iced tea is surprisingly simple to make. The key? Don’t get bitter! Some people steep their tea too long in order to produce a tea liqueur that stands up to melting ice. However, over-steeping simply produces bitter tea.
Here are some recommend different techniques: the Decoction Method.
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
2. Add three or four tea sachets to the boiled water and allow to steep for five minutes only!
3. After this decoction cools, pour the decoction into a large pitcher and add two quarts of water.
4. Refrigerate for two to three hours.
Ceylon is the classic iced tea, and it's cheap, too. Use about 2/3 of an ounce by weight of tea per 2 quarts of water and steep about 4 minutes, no longer, especially if you take it without sugar.
Assam isn't bad if you like a very bold iced tea. It's not my kind of thing, though; I like slightly more timid iced tea, and keep Assam for hot tea.
Darjeeling makes excellent iced tea as well, though for cost reasons you may want to cut it with a mild-mannered, cheap tea.
Black teas from Fujian make excellent iced tea - somewhat mild, with a kind of perky character. I find them perfect for bottling and drinking while walking.
I know there are more teas which are excellent to make into iced tea, but I have not tried much else; I usually drink hot tea.
Assam isn't bad if you like a very bold iced tea. It's not my kind of thing, though; I like slightly more timid iced tea, and keep Assam for hot tea.
Darjeeling makes excellent iced tea as well, though for cost reasons you may want to cut it with a mild-mannered, cheap tea.
Black teas from Fujian make excellent iced tea - somewhat mild, with a kind of perky character. I find them perfect for bottling and drinking while walking.
I know there are more teas which are excellent to make into iced tea, but I have not tried much else; I usually drink hot tea.
We drink a lot of iced tea here, and our favorite daily brew uses grocery-store Luzianne iced tea bags.
Now for hot tea, I won't touch anything else but good quality leaf tea...
Although my neighbors are all barbarians,
And you, you are a thousand miles away,
There are always two cups on my table.
--Tang Dynasty
And you, you are a thousand miles away,
There are always two cups on my table.
--Tang Dynasty
Apr 4th, '09, 14:13
Posts: 921
Joined: Feb 6th, '08, 04:57
Location: enjoying a cup of Red Rose down in GA
Cold brewing ain't rocket science
Frig overnite.
I second Omega's suggestion of Red Rose for iced tea.
I second Omega's suggestion of Red Rose for iced tea.