Lemon Ice Tea Recipe

Boil water

Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a kettle or medium saucepan.

Steep tea

Place 4 black tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags, cover the pitcher, and let steep for 5 minutes for a medium-strength brew (6–8 minutes for stronger).

Sweeten while hot

Remove the tea bags, pressing gently against the side of the pitcher with a spoon to extract flavor (do not squeeze too hard to avoid bitterness). While the tea is still hot, stir in 1 cup granulated sugar until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Cool to room temp

Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) or place the pitcher in an ice bath to speed cooling.

Make lemon syrup

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Stir to combine. If you prefer a brighter lemon flavor, briefly warm the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of the reserved hot tea (not boiling) and dissolve 2 tablespoons of the sugar from the measured amount into it to make a quick lemon syrup; cool slightly before adding. (This step is optional but helps disperse lemon flavor evenly.)

Combine and dilute

Pour the cooled sweet tea into a large pitcher. Add the lemon juice and zest mixture, and 2 cups cold water to dilute to serving strength. Stir well and taste; adjust by adding more lemon juice for tartness or additional sugar for sweetness, a tablespoon at a time.

Chill

Refrigerate the finished iced tea for at least 1 hour until thoroughly chilled. If you need it immediately, fill glasses with ice and assemble as below.

Serve

Fill serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 to 1 cup per glass). Pour the chilled lemon iced tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Serve cold.