511384 Mon Apr 21 08:07:48 -0700 2008 48 31 Home Cooking 0 3614428 What are your favorite iced teas and what is your method in making them? I am also looking for pitcher recommendations (glass, plastic, specific for tea). Thanks! Mon Apr 21 08:07:49 -0700 2008 72474 sophia519 1 3614460 Bigelow English Breakfast or Trader Joes English Breakfast tea made in a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. About 4 or 5 bags per pitcher. Mon Apr 21 08:17:56 -0700 2008 3614428 126101 Antilope 2 3614492 In the past, I used LIpton Tea, but I noticed a sour, off taste when the iced tea was kept until the next day (in the fridge). That doesn't happen with the teas I now use. Mon Apr 21 08:27:14 -0700 2008 3614460 126101 Antilope 1 3614480 Mine is quite pedestrian...2 regular size black tea (very inexpensive box of 100 tagless bags for 99 cents at Wal-Mart) bags in 16 ounces of boiling water...let it cool to room temp and I keep the bags in there the entire time for stronger flavor...I add 1 teaspoon of sugar, ice and big lemon wedge and am very happy. Mon Apr 21 08:23:17 -0700 2008 3614428 11983 Val 1 3614814 Well, this is sweet tea, so it may not be your thing, but here's what I do. I just use a Rubbermaid plastic pitcher. -10 to 12 crushed cardamom pods, 2-3 inch cinnamon stick: put them in a pot with half a gallon of cold water and bring to a boil. -Add four family-sized Luzianne tea bags to the water and take it off the heat -Wait 5 minutes -Remove tea bags and spices -Pour into one-gallon pitcher with 25g Splenda (= 75g sugar, I think) -Fill pitcher the rest of the way with cold water, chill. Mon Apr 21 09:51:22 -0700 2008 3614428 110215 eliah 2 3614850 That sounds really good. I'll have to try it - thanks! Mon Apr 21 09:57:15 -0700 2008 3614814 124908 jeanmarieok 3 3626799 Luzianne!!!! I make my sweet tea in a glass pitcher, 2 quarts at a time. I get people to bring Luzianne with them from the east coast. Sometimes I make half back tea and half peach herb tea or raspberry or mint. Add the sugar when it's hot! Like a scant 1/3 cup per quart. Thu Apr 24 13:44:20 -0700 2008 3614850 67706 WCchopper 1 3614863 About 15 years ago at the Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans, I had some amazing concoction called rose mint tea. It is my favorite iced tea, even though I haven't had it since, and haven't figured out how to duplicate it. If anyone has the recipe, please post it, pretty please! Other than that, I love making sun tea, especially with Republic of Tea's Blackberry and Sage tea. That sage is sooooo refreshing on a hot summer day. And sun tea is so amazingly simple to do. Mon Apr 21 09:59:35 -0700 2008 3614428 123357 charlesbois 2 3632157 Ah, Rose mint tea! A dear friend of mine is a regular at the NO festival, raves about the iced tea, and one year brought home a jar so we could experiment as none of the vendors were giving away trade secrets. We tried lots of things, including rose hips, lemon grass, etc. -- don't know if we can duplicate it but the KEY was HIBISCUS for the slightly sweet tart flavor (go to www.uptontea.com if you want to order some at reasonable rates), with some spearmint tea also purchased from Upton Tea. Sat Apr 26 13:43:52 -0700 2008 3614863 13420 Avid Rita 3 3633278 celestial seasonings red zinger has dominant hibiscus notes. from their site: "The trademark “zing” comes from a combination of tart and tangy Chinese hibiscus and fruity Thai hibiscus, while lemongrass provides a lemony sweetness that helps balance the tartness." http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/red-zinger add some fresh mint leaves and voila! Sun Apr 27 04:17:47 -0700 2008 3632157 105717 alkapal 4 3651325 Celestial Seasonings also has Wild Berry Zinger, which is fantastic iced. Nice if you have little folk around who may crave kool-aid, but your higher intellect wins out! No sweetening needed, as it's a well-rounded fruity herbal tea. Cay Fri May 02 14:13:47 -0700 2008 3633278 49525 cayjohan 5 3672974 I agree this makes a great ice tea. Some in my fridge with now. Fri May 09 14:45:26 -0700 2008 3651325 123480 scuzzo 3 3633318 ooooooh THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reply. I never even though of hibiscus being in it. I MUST try that toute suite. Sun Apr 27 05:27:15 -0700 2008 3632157 123357 charlesbois 1 3614920 I love iced jasmine tea -- perfect for the summer. It's really refreshing. And glass pitchers all the way. It makes a difference. Mon Apr 21 10:11:28 -0700 2008 3614428 10763 Miss Needle 1 3614965 Green Tea with a quarter (the coin) size peice of ginger. Steep for 20 min, remove the tea nad ginger stir in one tblsp of honey ( I currently have macadamia honey) for about a liter and a half of tea. YUM Earl Grey and Blackcurrant mixed is also good Mon Apr 21 10:19:55 -0700 2008 3614428 69079 starlady 1 3615335 I start by toasting a couple cinnamon sticks in a large pot. I use a mix of black tea and flavored green tea (my favorite so far has been mango green). I also add about 3/4 a cup of sugar for a gallon of tea. Mon Apr 21 11:39:08 -0700 2008 3614428 108111 gatorfoodie 1 3615435 I like black tea, sometimes a lightly flavored one like Earl Grey. I make it by brewing it double strength and then pouring it (still hot) over ice in a glass or pitcher. Quick, easy, no special equipment needed. I've even done this in restaurants that didn't have ice tea available (or that only had something pre-sweetened and/or mango). Hot tea, glass full of ice. Done. Mon Apr 21 12:00:01 -0700 2008 3614428 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 3615465 Last summer I discovered the celestial seasoning cold brew raspberry tea - would throw a few bags in a plastic pitcher, fill with cold water and leave in the frig. Serve with ice and a splash of pomegranate juice - very refreshing. Mon Apr 21 12:08:25 -0700 2008 3614428 14254 pasuga 1 3615741 I make sun tea with 5 large tea bags(Lipton, etc) in 1 gallon of filtered water in a glass jar. It brews for 8-12 hours in the sun during the summer. I know it is not supposed to be safe, but I have been making it this way for 15 years and I have he yet to get sick. Ive made it with different teas on occasion(Earl Grey, jasmine, green herbals), but regular black tea is my favorite. Mon Apr 21 13:08:51 -0700 2008 3614428 22220 Kelli2006 1 3617221 I would recommend cold brewing your tea. The process is simple. Use 15-20 grams of tea per liter of water and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Strain and enjoy. Cooling hot green or even black tea can create a lot of bitterness. Refrigerating the hot tea can cause the particles to come out of suspension and become cloudy. This method eliminates both problems and creates a perfect cup. No need to worry about the bacterial problems that sun tea can cause. The Japanese prepare cold tea this way. Check online for Hario Iced Pitchers. They are quite inexpensive, made out of glass, and strain the leaves for you. Mon Apr 21 20:20:02 -0700 2008 3614428 62405 cheapertrick 2 3620469 I have heard if you add a pinch of baking soda in the brewing process any bitterness will be removed. I think it may also help keep the tea clear if refrigerated??? Tue Apr 22 17:16:39 -0700 2008 3617221 13358 Susan627 2 3632160 I like your style, cheapertrick. Absolutely agree that cold brew is essential for clean tea flavors, as well as a clear (non-cloudy) beverage. Thanks for the lead on the Hario pitchers, I've been a long time looking for something like this. Sat Apr 26 13:46:20 -0700 2008 3617221 13420 Avid Rita 2 3651227 I've been brewing iced tea this way for several years, and drinking it daily year 'round. I almost always use some blend of green tea. I've found that a lot of people don't know about the bacterial problems of "sun tea." To be completely safe, if the water is not going to be boiled, the tea must be steeped in the refrigerator. I use a glass pitcher. Fri May 02 13:42:20 -0700 2008 3617221 13568 Tom Steele 1 3620778 I like fairly strong tea, so I use PG Tips for iced tea. This recipe gives you almost instant iced tea -- no need to wait for it to cool. I put 2 quarts of cold water in a saucepan and add 10 PG Tips teabags. Heat over medium heat till close to boiling -- smoke starts to look like it's filling the pan and tiny bubbles appear on surface. Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes. Remove teabags and pour tea over 2 quarts of ice cubes or 1 quart ice cubes mixed with 1 quart cold water. Tue Apr 22 19:01:23 -0700 2008 3614428 113437 katydid13 1 3620816 3-4 bags of Red Rose Tea hung in my old Melita glass coffee pot. Pour boiling water in it. Just let it sit on the counter usually since it gets drank with 2 days or so. Sometimes, especially since the ice maker is broke I will put it in the frig in a pitcher. Tue Apr 22 19:10:32 -0700 2008 3614428 61350 elkgrovestella 1 3620881 I like Yorkshire tea, brewed and stored in glass or ceramic only. I brew it triple strength, and then dilute with water, and pour over ice. Plastic makes it...plastic. I happen to prefer it without sugar or lemon. Occasionally, when it's hot, I'll put some mint leaves in. Delicious. Tue Apr 22 19:29:53 -0700 2008 3614428 68466 vickib 1 3620901 For approximately 8 cups of iced tea...I have in my mind perfected the recipe. I serve in a glass pitcher..I will get a picture tomorrow. I find using cold water means there is no bitter taste, if I use hot water, I only leave it a short time and make sure not to squish the bags when I take them out. in the morning before I start craving it, I place 10 or twelve tea bags of a good but not overly expensive tea in a four cup measuring cup, I add 3 cups cold water and let it sit till afternoon, I then take out the bags and add 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar, I then add enough water and ice for it to make 8 cups total and after stirring it well, it is ready to serve, I make a pitcher of this everyday...it is much sought out by my nieces and nephews and I love serving it to them! Tue Apr 22 19:38:25 -0700 2008 3614428 124983 Richelle 2 3621086 I grew up on Red Rose tea brewed in glass jars in the summer sun, and darn it, I still love the stuff. Now I use whatever interesting black tea samples I have from SpecialTeas (.com) and kind of enjoy seeing what happens. I like iced jasmine green too. A local bakery sweetens theirs with pineapple juice, and it makes a very interesting drink. Tue Apr 22 21:00:56 -0700 2008 3620901 64882 Vetter 1 3621956 Try Charleston Tea Plantation tea. It's the only tea grown in the US. I really like it's rich, smooth, caramel-y flavor. Great for strong Southern iced tea. Wed Apr 23 08:10:25 -0700 2008 3614428 10471 danna 1 3621981 Does anyone use a Bee House iced tea pitcher? http://www.indigo-tea.com/beehouseretroteapots.shtml Wed Apr 23 08:19:05 -0700 2008 3614428 10646 javaandjazz 2 3653328 I have one, and it does the job well -- but it's far too small for iced tea. Really only makes a couple of glasses. Sat May 03 12:03:40 -0700 2008 3621981 23882 dtremit 1 3623680 I'm allergic to caffeine, so I mostly do just herbal iced teas, which I think are great. I recycle a cranberry juice container. I just fill it to the near top, insert tea bags and stick it in the fridge. Combos I like: TJ's Mint Medley Regular peppermint tea too Any fruit tea, mixed with a bit of a mint tea is a nice blend Mint tea, plus a few ginger slices Wild Berry Zinger (Celestial Seasonings) Mango Passionfruit (Stash) Mint with lemon is great (I stuff peels in from adding juice to something else) Wed Apr 23 15:04:30 -0700 2008 3614428 123480 scuzzo 2 3623937 Hey fellow tea hounds, thank you all for spelling iced tea and not ice tea. It's a peeve of mine that Americans have lost the D in words like iceD tea. I, like Vetter, use flavored black tea from specialteas.com (just got a new shipment this morning). I have a dedicated Mr. Coffee type machine that I brew the tea in using an unbleached paper filter (from Trader Joe). I pour the strong brew into a container I use just for tea (hence it's lovely brown stained interior) over ice. For iced tea I like fruity flavors like peach and lemon but I will use just about any flavor. This morning I had hot chai with soy milk and this afternoon I had the leftover chai without milk on ice. Wed Apr 23 16:30:12 -0700 2008 3623680 57253 lucyis 3 3623978 Ooo, I didn't know there was a test! Glad I passed. ;) Yes, peach iceD tea is great too. Does anyone really know if brewing vs. cold method affects flavor? I used to brew, but I'm lazy now and I'm happy with the results, but haven't really tested. Anyone tried herbs with iced teas, other than the obvious mint? Maybe rosemary and mint tea? Wed Apr 23 16:41:00 -0700 2008 3623937 123480 scuzzo 4 3631188 Cold brewing tea will produce a sweeter cup with less astringency and bitterness. The resulting tea is weaker in flavor but I would use less (or no) ice. Fri Apr 25 22:54:02 -0700 2008 3623978 62405 cheapertrick 1 3624950 After reading through a thread on lemonade preparation, a CH mentioned adding dried lavender buds. So I have it a try. Delicious! Yesterday, I steeped a full cup of lavender buds and added it to mango tea (bags). Even better! Thu Apr 24 04:50:56 -0700 2008 3614428 36312 HillJ 1 3625728 I usually make it the same way my mom did - 5 lipton regular size tea bags in a little boiling water for 5 minutes, then pour into a 2 liter glass pitcher, add water and chill in the fridge. Any lightly fruit flavored tea bags (apricot and mango are my favorites) make a lovely substitute. If I use a flavored tea bag with a strong flavor (like mint), I just sub out 2 - 3 of the lipton bags for the flavored ones instead of all of them. I used to have a mint plant and would add some fresh mint. I remember it was really good, but I tried both steeping the mint leaves with the tea bags and adding them to the cooled tea and I can't remember which way yielded the better results. Thu Apr 24 09:33:21 -0700 2008 3614428 183902 aryqalyn 1 3625851 For iced tea, my favorite is Luzanne and Constant Comment. I use 1 large or 3 small Luzanne bags and 1 Constant Comment. Water must be boiling. I use a 2 qt. ceramic pitcher or a 2 qt. plastic jug. I have switched to iced tea from soft drinks and the 2 qt pitcher last about 1 1/2 days. I don't refrigerate. Just leave it covered on the kitchen counter. Thu Apr 24 10:07:24 -0700 2008 3614428 60822 Pampatz 1 3631967 red zinger makes a great iced tea. i love earl gray, too. Sat Apr 26 11:47:01 -0700 2008 3614428 105717 alkapal 1 3631993 I am a dedicated Luzianne user for iced tea. I don't like anything in my iced tea other maybe a squeeze of lemon or a sprig of mint. No other flavorings. Luzianne is my favorite because it has great flavor and will not get cloudy, even in the fridge. Sat Apr 26 12:01:55 -0700 2008 3614428 10285 Candy 1 3632096 I am an Iced Tea Addict.. I use several things.. Sun Tea Container..glass from Target with a spout.. I use either Red Zinger and makes a fab red hibiscus tea which is so good and for you too.. I also use the Tejava from Trader Joes and get orange and lemon slices and water it down just a bit..excellent taste..also, the lemon juice from tj's for 99cents is excellent for iced tea.. Sat Apr 26 13:09:21 -0700 2008 3614428 97452 Beach Chick 2 3632664 I found this recipe somewhere on the internet a few years ago and make it often. It is a little sweet, but not cloying. Very refreshing. I substitute lime juice for the lemon juice because I can't usually get regular lemons where I live...Hope someone likes it as much as we do. DAVE'S WORLD FAMOUS TROPICAL ICED TEA (also makes a good drink mixer) 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 quart hot water 8 tea bags (any black tea) 2 quarts iced water 2 cups fresh orange juice (about four 3" oranges) 3/4 cup lemon juice (about four lemons) Garnish: sprigs of mint slices of lime slices of orange Combine 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water and tea bags. Steep tea bags for 3-5 minutes, according to strength desired. Discard tea bags and add hot brew to 2 quarts of iced water. Add orange and lemon juices to iced water. Strain to remove pulp. Stir well and refrigerate, or serve immediately over ice. To serve with ice: In a tall glass filled half way with ice cubes (not crushed), add a slice of lime, then fill rest of way with ice. Pour in tea. Garnish glass with a slice of orange and a sprig of fresh mint. Yield: 1 gallon. Sat Apr 26 18:12:48 -0700 2008 3632096 156461 MexicoKaren 3 3650974 Outstanding MexicoKaren! Thank you.. I will make it sometime this week.. Fri May 02 12:44:42 -0700 2008 3632664 97452 Beach Chick 1 3651015 I do an asian inspired iced tea myself, usually with black tea, oolong, green tea, korean ginseng and jasmine. I try to use loose tea whenever I can, I feel the flavours infuse much better. I also add some grated ginger to the steeping process, and garnish/season with some honey, lime and basil. Fri May 02 12:52:39 -0700 2008 3614428 123660 eastcoastgirl_westcoastlife 1 3651337 Hojicha (roasted green tea) is a beloved addiction for me, especially iced. From what I've read, the roasting does also drop the caffeine concentration, if that's an issue for some. Cay Fri May 02 14:18:59 -0700 2008 3614428 49525 cayjohan 1 3651645 I drink iced tea year round. Always in the fridge. As to containers, I was using a glass pitcher, and just recently switched to a Ball dispenser with a tap. The pitcher was a faster pour, but the nostalgia of the Ball dispenser is holding sway for now. As to my brewing method: I boil just enough water to maybe twice cover the amount of tea bags (extrapolate out for loose tea), add bags and steep as needed. Pour into container and add water to make up the diff on the amount of tea. (so maybe steep 4 bags in a cup of water and add 2 cups after- allow for ice dilution) What tea to use: as others have shared there is so much out there.Currently drinking a white tea/pomogranate blend which is tart but less than a Red Zinger. Like to mix peach flavored with black teas. Jasmine tea is good. Well the list could go on and on. Just experiment. Fri May 02 16:16:36 -0700 2008 3614428 17682 torty 2 3651686 I have always been a big fan of the pre-sweetened ice tea mixes, but after visiting Memphis earlier this spring, I can't wait for the warm weather so I can make Sweet Tea! Fri May 02 16:31:53 -0700 2008 3651645 183036 the5thbeatle 1 3666443 i love the good earth's sweet and spicy tea made into iced tea. i just follow the recipe on the box. you can get it at trader joe's. here's their website: http://www.goodearthteas.com/ Wed May 07 16:50:57 -0700 2008 3614428 10383 arifa 1 3675915 I like Mighty Leaf's organic black tea -- they make a kind specifically for iced tea that comes in a big pouch; if you catch it on sale, the cost works out to be comparable to buying a two-liter bottle of soda. I boil two quarts of water, turn off the heat, drop in the pouch, cover, and let steep for twenty minutes. That's way longer than the package directions say, but to me it seems about right (not bitter as you might expect). I add sweetener and refrigerate it. Sat May 10 21:38:25 -0700 2008 3614428 34128 fendel