How to Make Iced Tea Half Regular and Half Decaf

Iced tea is a favorite summer time drink for southerners.

People have been brewing the black leaves of tea since China's Zhou Dynasty from 1100 to 221 B.C. Tea is brewed by immersing the leaves in boiling water then allowing the tea to steep. Tea companies, like Tetley, use a solvent called natural ethyl acetate to make the tea less caffeinated. As the acetate evaporates, it takes some of the caffeine with it, leaving a less stimulating drink behind. But you don't need additives to get a half-decaf tea. Lessen the caffeine in the brewing process. Does this Spark an idea?

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Two saucepans or pots
Two large tea bags
Water
2-quart pitcher
1 cup of sugar
Long-handled stirring spoon
Ice

Instructions

- 1
  
  Fill two saucepans two-thirds full with water. Place one large tea bag in each pot. Turn the heat up on high.
- 2
  
  Wait for the tea to boil. Turn off the heat when the tea reaches the boiling point. Leave one tea bag in the pot to steep for two to three minutes. Remove the tea bag from the other pot after one minute.
- 3
  
  Toss away the bags and combine the two steeped teas into a 2-quart pitcher. Add 1 cup of sugar, or a sugar substitute to the pitcher. Fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cool, clear water.
- 4
  
  Stir the tea with a long-handled spoon. Pour the half-decaf, half-regular tea over ice and serve.