How to Make Refrigerator Iced Tea

Iced tea is the "house wine of the south." Everyone below the Mason-Dixon Line seems to have an endless storage of cool, clear tea in the refrigerator year round. If you love iced tea but are plagued with cloudy, weak or bitter iced tea, this method is the sure remedy, no matter where you live.

Things You'll Need

• Quart canning jars
• Lids for the jars or plastic wrap and rubber bands
• Tea bags
• Simple syrup

Instructions

Refrigerator Tea

1. Wash the jars and rinse with very hot water. Invert on a dish towel to dry and cool. Wash the lids and collars.

2. Fill each jar with cool tap water. Leave about 1 inch of space at the top of each jar.

3. Add four tea bags to each quart of water. Use regular tea bags or tea bags designed specifically for iced tea.

4. Close each jar with a lid or seal it with a piece of plastic wrap. Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band.

5. Set the jars in the fridge overnight. Remove the tea bags the next day and discard. Store the unused tea in the refrigerator.

6. Experiment with herbal teas. Consider making iced tea with orange, rose hips, cinnamon tea bags and various combination.

7. Serve the tea over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with a slice of fresh lemon or a ripe strawberry. Add a sprig of mint. Offer sugar and sugar substitutes. Make "sweet tea" by adding simple syrup to the brewed tea.

Simple Syrup

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add sugar and vary the amount of syrup with the ratio of 1 part water to 2 parts sugar.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil once again then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue cooking until the mixture streams off the spoon (like syrup) when the spoon is lifted from the syrup.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the mixture cool.

4. Store the syrup in a sealed container. Use in iced tea and cocktails.