Harney Organic Black Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to near-boil

In a kettle or saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a full boil, then remove from heat. Black tea brews best with very hot water (around boiling).

Steep tea

Place 8 teaspoons of Harney organic black tea (or equivalent sachets, ~8 tea bags) into a large heatproof pitcher or pot. Pour the 8 cups of just-boiled water over the tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a robust but not overly bitter concentrate. For stronger concentrate steep up to 7 minutes, but avoid over-steeping to prevent excessive bitterness.

Strain and cool

Strain the tea leaves (or remove tea bags) through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher. Allow the concentrate to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then place in the refrigerator until chilled (about 30–45 minutes) if you want cold iced tea quickly.

Make simple syrup

If you want sweetened iced tea, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is clear. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in fridge if not using immediately. (This yields about 1 cup simple syrup; adjust amount to taste.)

Sweeten concentrate

Stir desired amount of simple syrup into the cooled tea concentrate. A good starting point is 1/2 to 1 cup of simple syrup for the batch; add more or less to taste. Mix thoroughly so sweetness is uniform.

Dilute concentrate

To make the iced tea, pour the chilled concentrate into a large pitcher and add 6 cups of cold water. Taste and adjust: if the tea is too strong, add more cold water; if too weak, add a little more concentrate reserved earlier or brew an extra tea bag in hot water and cool before adding.

Add ice and garnish

Add about 6 cups of ice to the pitcher or to individual glasses. Pour the iced tea over ice, add lemon slices to each glass or into the pitcher, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs. Serve immediately.

Storage

Refrigerate any leftover iced tea in a covered pitcher for up to 3 days. Keep simple syrup refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. If tea becomes cloudy after refrigeration, stir gently before serving.