If there’s one thing you need to learn this summer, it’s how to make iced tea. The cooling drink is a winner with adults and children alike, perfectly refreshing and full of flavour. Iced tea is budget-friendly and easy to whip up in big batches – great for summer gatherings! Brimming with the health benefits tea naturally has to offer, what’s not to love?
Here’s all you need to know, to make the drink that’ll have your friends and family coming back for more…
Health benefits of drinking iced tea
Aside from the delicious and tailored flavour you can achieve, drinking iced tea has some great health benefits, too. From soothing stress, to providing minerals you didn’t know you needed, iced tea serves as more than just a refreshing drink.
Filled to the brim with antioxidants, it’s a great swap for sugar-filled drinks and provides a high source of manganese, supporting healthy bones and metabolism. Studies also show tea improves heart health, so learning how to make iced tea for summer is a win-win.
Impress all at your next social gathering!
What tea should I use to make iced tea?
A classic base for iced tea is a black tea, such as our English Breakfast Tea, as it gives you the most room to experiment with your own flavourings. Other blends that work well for iced tea are Green Tea, Earl Grey, or Chamomile. Fruit teas are also super tasty when chilled.
How to make iced tea: the traditional way
If you’re learning how to make iced tea for the first time, this method is the quickest and possibly the easiest place to start. Gather your ingredients and read on for all you need to know to make iced tea…
Ingredients
- 6-8 organic tea bags (green, black, white or herbal)
- 2 litre of boiling water
- 3 small lemons, 2 juiced and 1 sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- Small bunch of mint
- Ice
Optional sweeteners:
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp runny honey
Method
Once you have your ingredients, flick the kettle and you should have a tasty jug of iced tea in very little time.
First, pour your boiling water over your teabags. Top tip – if you’re using black tea, boiling water is great, if using green, white or herbal teas, allow the water to cool to 80°c. This is the time to add your honey and/or caster sugar, if you wish to. Let the tea brew as per the instructions on your packet, or for no more than ten minutes. Remove the tea bags, stir well and allow your tea to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Once chilled, add your lemon, orange, mint and plenty of ice to the jug. Serve your summer iced tea over ice in a tall glass. If you find you’d prefer your iced tea to be sweeter after cooling, add sugar syrup. Now you know how to make iced tea!
How to make iced tea: the cold brew way
The main difference between the traditional method of making iced tea and the cold brew method, is the temperature of the water! For a cold brew, you guessed it – it’s brewed in cold water. Generally, iced tea that’s brewed cold, doesn’t tend to draw out the bitter flavours you can taste with cooled hot tea. To keep things simple, here’s a shopping list and all you’ll need to know to make organic cold brew iced tea…
Ingredients
- 6-10g of organic tea (green, black, white or herbal)
- 1 litre of mineral water
- Ice
Also choose from:
- Slices of organic grapefruit, lemon, orange or lime
- Sprigs of organic thyme, mint, or a stick of lemongrass
- Spices of organic chilli or ginger
Method
You’ve got your ingredients, now onto the best part! The key for making the tastiest cold brew iced tea is time. Be sure to leave yourself plenty, to ensure the perfect taste.
Begin by adding 6-10g of your chosen tea blend to one litre of filtered or mineral water (double up for a larger serving). Leave your tea to infuse in the fridge for 4-6 hours, tasting every 30 minutes after 4 hours.
When you’ve reached a desirable taste, strain the tea leaves out. Next, add your chosen slice, sprig and spice, along with plenty of ice.
You’re done, it’s really that easy. You can keep your cold brew refrigerated, but we advise drinking within 24 hours.
How can you sweeten iced tea?
Now that you know how to make iced tea, you’ll want to learn how to make a basic sugar syrup. As mentioned above, a sugar syrup is the best option if you’d like to sweeten your iced tea once it’s cooled.
To make sugar syrup, simply add 300g caster sugar to a saucepan of 150ml water. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved and stir occasionally. Allow to cool before transferring into a clean bottle and place in the fridge.
You’ve learnt how to make iced tea, all that’s really left to do is experiment and find your favourite method and pairings. Enjoy a summer filled with tasty blends, using our tips and tricks.