Iced Tea Recipe

Boil water and steep tea

Bring 8 cups water to a rolling boil in a kettle or pot. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags (or the equivalent amount of loose-leaf tea in a tea infuser). Cover and steep 5 to 7 minutes for standard strength, or 8 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid over-steeping to prevent bitterness.

Cool and strain

After steeping, remove tea bags or strain out leaves, gently pressing bags against the side to extract liquid without forcing bitterness. Let the brewed tea cool at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the sweetener (if using).

Serve over ice

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup per glass). Pour chilled tea over ice. Add lemon slices to each glass if using. Garnish with mint sprigs as desired.

Make simple syrup

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is clear. Once dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. This yields a pourable sweetener that blends evenly into cold tea.

Sweeten the tea

When the brewed tea is chilled, stir in simple syrup to taste. Start with 1/4 cup syrup per 8 cups brewed tea for light sweetness, 1/2 cup for medium, and 3/4–1 cup for traditional Southern sweet tea sweetness. Adjust to preference. If you prefer granulated sugar directly, dissolve it in a small amount of hot brewed tea first (not recommended for cold mixing).

For a bright citrus note, add about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the pitcher before chilling or add lemon slices to individual glasses. Bruise mint sprigs gently (clap between hands or bruise with the back of a spoon) and add to the pitcher while chilling or tuck into glasses for garnish. Taste and adjust lemon or mint amount to preference.