How to Make Fresh Brewed Iced Tea at Home - Quick and Easy

Iced tea refreshes on a hot day.

Brewing fresh iced tea is never the fastest process, as you must always wait for it to cool before serving. Alternatives such as iced tea powder can be tasty, but for authentic taste, brew fresh. Stick to the quick and easy basics to make a delicious pitcher of iced tea to quench your thirst on a hot day.

Things You'll Need

• 8-cup jug or pitcher
• Pot or kettle
• 8 cups water
• 6 tea bags
• Sugar to taste (optional)
• Lemon slices (optional)
• Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil 8 cups of water.

2. Remove the water from the heat, add six tea bags to the boiled water, and leave it to steep for about three minutes. If you used a kettle, transfer the boiled water to a pot first. Use fewer or more tea bags for weaker or stronger tea.

3. Remove the tea bags, add sugar and stir while the tea is still hot, as the high temperature dissolves it.

4. Add freshly cut lemon slices, if desired, and stir.

5. Leave the tea to cool for about half an hour. Add ice cubes to speed up the cooling process, if desired, before transferring the tea to a pitcher and refrigerating.

6. Serve when cold.

Tips & Warnings

• If you intend to add a lot of ice, consider using more tea bags, as the ice will dilute the flavor.

• Putting the hot tea directly in the fridge before letting it cool off makes it cloudy.

References

• Canadian Living: Six Rules for the Best Iced Tea Plus Recipes
• Canadian Living: Basic Iced Tea Recipe
• "Culinary Tea: More Than 150 Recipes Steeped in Tradition from Around the World"; Cynthia Gold, Lise Stern; 2010