Iced Tea Recipe
Make Iced Tea Recipe in just 1h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Tea Base
Sweetener (optional)
Finish & Serve
Method
Tea Base
Steep the tea
Bring 8 cups of water to a full boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags (or equivalent loose-leaf tea in an infuser). Cover the pot or container and let steep 5 to 7 minutes for a medium-strength tea (8–10 minutes for stronger). Avoid oversteeping beyond 10 minutes to prevent bitterness.
Remove tea leaves
After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves. Gently press the bags against the side of the pot with a spoon for a second to extract additional flavor, if desired.
Sweetener (optional)
Make simple syrup-style sweetener
If you want sweetened iced tea, dissolve 1 cup granulated sugar in 1/4 cup hot water: place the sugar in a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and pour the 1/4 cup hot water over it, stirring until fully dissolved. This creates a concentrated sweetener that blends into cold tea easily. If you prefer a different sweetener (honey, agave, or simple syrup), substitute to taste and adjust quantities.
Add sweetener to hot tea
While the brewed tea is still hot, stir the dissolved sugar mixture into the tea until fully incorporated. Adding sweetener while the tea is hot ensures it dissolves uniformly.
Finish & Serve
Dilute and chill
Pour the hot tea into a large heatproof pitcher. Add 4 cups cold water to dilute the concentrate to drinking strength (adjust up or down depending on desired intensity). Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, about 1–2 hours. For faster cooling, fill the pitcher with ice, allow to cool briefly, then top off with additional cold water as needed to replace melted ice.
Add lemon and garnish
Stir in 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice if making lemon iced tea. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon. Fill glasses with ice cubes (about 1 cup per serving), pour the chilled tea over the ice, and garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig if desired.
Serve
Serve immediately. Leftover iced tea keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. If it tastes flat after sitting, revive with a splash of fresh lemon juice or a little more sweetener dissolved in warm water.