Iced Tea

[Ohio Joe]

So... I've been on this iced tea kick lately because it's both cheap and good

I had some at a friends a while back and have been using the same "recipe" (four Red Rose teabags in a 2 quart container that gets stirred a few times over a 16-24 hour period before drinking). I was surprised at how good it is because I always thought you had to make it as hot tea before cooling it.

I've thought it would be nice to add some honey but I get a bit unsure here... Would the honey mix right if it is not put into boiling/hot water?

Also... Any other types of tea (preferably cheap) to try, and/or methods of making, ingredients... What do you do with iced tea?

[hlthe2b]

1. My favorite is Mango Tango using leaves from the Teaspot.com

I never sweeten tea, but would definitely think you'd need to do so while hot..

I use leaf tea generally and am always careful to use the right temperature for black (boiling) green (generally about 175 degrees) or white (165) then I pour it through a teavana type tea strainer (http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Teavana/30098%20000%20032_d?$snrl$) into the intended container with jut enough ice or iced water to end-dilute. Then I don't have to worry so much about breaking/cracking the container if glass or plastic.

theteaspot.com is a Boulder company and I recommend them highly. They have some excellent varieties for iced tea, but mango tango (black tea with mango/flowers) is still my favorite, though I drink a lot of green jasmine and green mint too. I should add that the green teas can be re-steeped multiple times so that can make them quite economical (and healthy).

[Ohio Joe]

6. ahhh... Fruit. I should have thought of that

When you say 'mango/flowers', are you saying both are added? Do the flowers of fruits give that type of fruits flavor when used in a tea?

That tea is sold all around me here in Denver, I will try some of their teas. Thanks!

[hlthe2b]

9. Here's the description

and yes, they do give flavor--lots

http://theteaspot.com/mango-tango-loose-black-tea.html

[northoftheborder]

2. I'm curious....

.....is there really a difference in taste by brewing at room temperature a long time vs. with hot water??? I need to do an experiment, I guess. I love tea, all kinds and flavors, hot or iced.

[hlthe2b]

10. temperature makes a big difference (e.g. green boiled is bitter but wonderful at 175 degrees)

If it is plain old Lipton bags, it doesn't make a lot of difference, however.

[eissa]

3. Here's how I do mine

Loose leaf Persian tea I get from my local middle eastern store. Bring to a boil and let sit for a few hours so the flavors are really intense. Once cooled, I pour into a ice-filled dispenser with some fresh mint and about 1/2 cup of sugar. It's lovely!

[livetohike]

4. Now I am showing my hippie roots, but the best iced tea is "sun tea"

I just use a mason jar full of cold water and eight tea bags and let it sit in the sun for a few hours(with the lid on of course). I will add some fresh water if it is too strong. I love to use Red Zinger (Celestial Seasonings brand) for this.

[Ohio Joe]

8. Interesting

I don't have any mason jars and the budget does not allow for extras like that right now but I will keep it in mind and try it out when I get a chance. Thanks!

[GoCubsGo]

11. I use a huge pickle jar.

It's the gallon-size jar of the sort you find in places like Costco. Got it from a friend who saved it and several others from the dumpster after a United Way fundraising shindig at her work. If you have a deli or restaurant nearby, they may have some that they'll give away.

You can also find "sun tea" jars in second-hand shops for real cheap. They even have a spigot at the bottom. I always see at least one every time I go to Goodwill or other resale shops.

[cbayer]

5. The problem with sun-tea or tea that seeps in cool water is that

it seems to go bad so quickly. That and the inability to dissolve sugar or honey in it caused me to stop using that method a few years ago.

We are on an Arnold Palmer kick.

I make Country Time Lemonade and put tea leftover in the teapot in it.

[Ohio Joe]

7. I'm not too worried about it going bad...

I only make two quarts at a time and we finish that off pretty quickly... Making iced tea is becoming one of my daily chores

Honey won't dissolve when I do it cold though... I was thinking that would be a problem, good to know

[GoCubsGo]

12. Lipton makes a "cold brew" tea.

I have never tried it. I usually make sun tea in the summer, and I use the "family-size bags" and a gallon-size jar. Lipton, Tetley and Luzianne all make the family-sized bags. Luzianne is my favorite. The rest of the year, I just brew it a glass at a time. I brew it concentrated, and pour it over a lot of ice.

I have never tried sweetening my iced tea with honey. I usually use things like Crystal Light lemonade or Mio peach-mango. If you find that you can't get honey to dissolve, try heating it up in the microwave first. Warming honey dissolves it and makes it thinner--at least until it cools back down. When it's dissolved like that, it should blend much easier with cold tea.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

13. I use to make a lot of ice tea...

To add honey, i would dissolve about a 1/4 of honey in hot water then add that to the sun tea.

Last summer, we made mint tea from cuttings from our yard. We would cut a few stalks, pour boiling water over it {a couple of cups}, then top it of with cold water. We went away one weekend, leaving the sprigs of mint in the glass jar, in the refrigerator and when we came back, it had started rooting.... we replanted it!

[bif]

14. Red Rose makes the best iced tea.

I make with boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes (7 tea bags). Then remove the bags and add cold water.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

15. I have a five liter clear plastic container

That I fill with water, add two Republic of Tea Ginger-Peach teabags, and let it sit out in the sun for a few hours. I then remove the teabags and put it into the fridge to get cold. The Ginger-Peach makes lousy hot tea (IMHO), but great iced tea.

[bitchkitty]

16. I made Southern sweet tea

when I used to drink tea - I steeped the tea bags for 20-30 minutes in just enough water to cover, removed the bags and added sugar, stirring until dissolved, then added water to make 2 quarts.

I like the taste of sun tea, but I feel like it's unsanitary. I know, I'm overly paranoid...

[sammytko]

17. I will only drink tea that I have made fresh - this is how I make it

Bring about two cups of filtered water to boil. When it boils, turn off the heat and put in two family sized bags of lipton tea.

Fill up a thick glass pitcher with ice. Squeeze the juice of a large lemon over the ice.

Put 3/4 cup of sugar in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup. Add 1 cup of filtered water. Heat in micro for about 2.5 minutes. Stir to dissolve sugar.

By this time the tea has brewed. Pour some, but not all of the hot tea over the ice. Add sugar water to taste.

The ice will melt, so no other water needed.