Iced Tea Recipe

Boil water

Bring 4 cups of fresh water to a rolling boil in a kettle or saucepan.

Steep tea

Place 6 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose-leaf tea in an infuser) into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Cover the pitcher and steep for 5 minutes for a medium-strength tea, 7 minutes for stronger flavor. Avoid oversteeping more than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Sweeten (optional)

If you want sweet iced tea, stir 1 tablespoon granulated sugar into the hot tea immediately after steeping so it dissolves fully. For simple syrup use, dissolve equal parts sugar and hot water separately then add to taste once cooled.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, remove and gently squeeze the tea bags against the side of the pitcher to release remaining liquid, then discard the bags (or remove the infuser). Let the concentrate cool slightly for 5–10 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the tea concentrate into a larger pitcher. Add 4 cups cold water to the concentrate and stir to combine. Taste and adjust strength: add more cold water if too strong or more concentrate (extra brewed tea) if too weak.

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until cold. For quickest service, fill a serving pitcher or glasses with ice and pour over ice immediately; note that ice will dilute the tea as it melts.

Fill glasses with ice (about 3/4 cup per glass) and pour chilled tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Serve cold.

Leftovers: keep iced tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Stir before serving. If stored longer, flavor may fade.