Iced Tea Recipe

Steep the tea

Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags to the hot water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a medium strength, or up to 7 minutes for stronger tea. Avoid steeping more than 8 minutes to prevent bitterness.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract extra flavor. Discard the tea bags.

Make simple syrup (if using)

If you want sweetened iced tea, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup hot water in a heatproof container and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved, creating a simple syrup. Let it cool slightly. (If you prefer unsweetened tea, skip this section.)

Sweeten the tea

While the brewed tea is still warm, stir in the desired amount of simple syrup to taste. For the recipe quantities, adding the full cup of syrup will produce a moderately sweet pitcher. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup and adjust as needed.

Dilute and chill

Pour the brewed tea into a large pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water to dilute to serving strength (adjust to taste). Let the pitcher cool to room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1–2 hours.

Prepare glassware

Fill glasses with ice cubes (about 1 cup ice per glass). Add a few mint leaves and a lemon slice to each glass if desired.

Serve

When the tea is chilled, stir the pitcher once, then pour over the prepared glasses. Garnish additional lemon slices or mint sprigs. Serve immediately.

Storage

Store leftover iced tea in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If separation occurs (from syrup), stir before serving.