posted on September 25, 2001 06:33:50 PM new
I love iced tea. The problem is it never tastes as good as I think it should. Here's what I do. I boil water, turn off the fire, let 8 tea bags steep for about 10 minutes, pour into a pitcher with sugar, and put more water on the tea bags and pour that in the pitcher. If the pitcher isn't full I add more water. What am I doing wrong?
The brand of tea makes ALL the difference.
I have to disagree with the above URL on choice of tea, as I prefer Lipton. For me, nothing can make Tetley or Nestea drinkable. Luzianne is OK. Plantation (made for ice tea) has a very smooth taste.
Iced tea tips
- Double strength: Since the brewed tea will be diluted with ice, make it stronger than usual: Use one regular teabag or 1 1/2 teaspoons (7mL) of loose tea for each cup (250mL) of boiling water. Steep for 5-7 minutes, then remove bags to prevent bitterness. Except Lipton see below.
- Sweet treat: If you're adding sugar, it will dissolve more easily if you stir it into the tea while still hot.
- Cool gently: If you put hot tea directly into the refrigerator, it will become cloudy. For clear iced tea, allow to cool on your counter to room temperature before adding ice, advises Tim Beadle of Ottawa's The Tea Party.
Getting the most out of your tea:
The recommended brewing time for Lipton Yellow Label Tea, which has a 'smooth and rounded' taste, is three minutes. If you want it to be stronger, leave it on for a couple of minutes. But not too long, or it'll result in bitter tea. Remember to squeeze the teabag with a spoon - to get the last bit of 'depth' or 'thickness'.
posted on September 25, 2001 11:41:40 PM new
Luzianne is my favorite. I like my tea strong and on the sweet side. (Hmmm ... I like my tea like I like my men! hee hee) But anyway! I can't stand Lipton -- it's too bitter or something.
I follow the instructions on the package as far as how many teabags to use. Put the teabags in a saucepan of water, and bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Pour it into a pitcher, removing the teabags. Put in a cup of sugar. Stir it so that the sugar gets dissolved. Then fill the pitcher the rest of the way up with cool water, and stir again. Pour over ice!
You can also make tea in the coffee pot. Same amount of teabags and everything, but put the teabags in the coffee pot and make it like coffee. Then pour it in the pitcher, add the sugar, stir, add cool water, and stir again.
Why she does this, I don't know, but when my mom makes tea, she leaves the teabags in the pitcher with the tea. Maybe she thinks it improves the taste, but the teabags end up bursting and spilling out into the tea. Blech.
posted on September 25, 2001 11:48:13 PM new
How to make good iced tea?
Buy the best brand you can.
Brew it.
Cool it.
Sweeten it.
Add lemon if you wish.
Pour into a glass.
Then use the glass to pout it down the drain. Or, use it to dye fabric.
Because there's really no such thing as good iced tea. It all tastes like dirt. Tea in general tastes like dirt. Though it is a slight step up in taste from coffee.
posted on September 26, 2001 01:09:18 AM new
Good ol' Southern Iced Tea....
To make a gallon of iced tea, I put 8 teabags in the basket of my drip coffee maker, then add the maximum water level (10 cups). When it is through, pour the tea into a gallon container and stir in 2 cups sugar. Add 10 more cups of water to coffee maker, and let it run through the teabags again, and add to the container and stir. Top off with water to complete a gallon....I only use Lipton, and have found that this method prevents the "bitter" taste tea can get if it is steeped too long.
posted on September 26, 2001 03:35:17 AM new
Here is how I make mine, and it is never cloudy.
For a gallon:
Boil 1/2 gallon of water, pour in pitcher. Add 8 teabags, I use Lipton decaf. Add 4 bags of Peppermint tea (omit if you don't like mint in your tea) Use a couple extra regular teabags if you don't use the mint tea. I don't pour the water over the teabags because sometime they burst.
Let steep 4-5 minutes, remove teabags. Add sugar if desired, I use either 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda (sugar substitute)
Add ice to the pitcher to make a gallon. If you use ice instead of water, it completely chills the tea and prevents it from getting cloudy. It also won't be too diluted when served over ice in the glasses. I get lots of complements on my tea, and if you use Splenda, no one will know. My kids drank an entire pitcher and thought it was made with sugar.
posted on September 26, 2001 06:58:07 AM new
What grand suggestions.
My father, an avid ice tea drinker for over 70 years, has made it a research project to find the best-tasting brand. His recommendation: Red Rose Tea -
An added bonus - you get a little Wade ceramic miniature collectable in each box. They sell like cold-cakes on Ebay.
Rosie
*There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on September 26, 2001 07:12:23 AM new
Thanks to everyone for all the tea making methods. I am going to try some of them. I really like the Lipton Southern Style so jt's method will be first. Thanks again. Barbara
posted on September 26, 2001 08:14:24 PM new
1 gal cold water
8 teabags (I favor Swee-touch-nee but Lipton Yellow is very good, so is Typhoo, sorry Red Rose is IKKY)
put water and teabags in a 1 gallon clear glass jar. Place in the sun for about 4 hours. If you like it weak bring in sooner.
Pour over ice. Do not contaminate with sugar or booze.
posted on September 26, 2001 09:30:17 PM new
We bring 8 bags of sugar and a cup of sugar to a boil (to make a syrup) in about a quart of water. Let cool, add to your gallon pitcher and fill with cool water.
I'm a yankee and learned this from my husband's southern family. I also learned that when you order "tea" down south, it will always be iced! (Up here, you get a cup of hot water and a tea bag.)
hee hee) But anyway! I can't stand Lipton -- it's too bitter or something.
