Iced Tea - Sweet Recipe

Time1h 30m

Serves8

Make Iced Tea - Sweet Recipe in just 1h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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1
Bring water to a boil
Pour 8 cups of cold water into a kettle or large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
2
Steep tea
Remove from heat. Add 6 black tea bags to the hot water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a bright tea or up to 7 minutes for stronger flavor. Do not over-steep to avoid excessive bitterness.
3
Remove bags and cool
Remove and discard the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pan with a spoon to extract liquid (do not squeeze aggressively). Let the brewed tea cool 10–15 minutes at room temperature before refrigerating to bring to serving temperature.

4
Make simple syrup
While the tea cools (or beforehand), combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3–5 minutes.
5
Add optional texture
If using, stir in 1 tablespoon light corn syrup once the sugar has dissolved; this helps keep the syrup pourable and prevents crystallization once chilled.
6
Cool syrup
Remove the syrup from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes). Transfer to a heatproof container and refrigerate if not using immediately.

7
Sweeten the tea
Pour the cooled brewed tea into a large pitcher. Stir in the simple syrup to taste — start with 1/2 cup (for a moderately sweet iced tea) and add more up to the full cup if you prefer sweeter. Mix thoroughly so syrup is evenly distributed.
8
Chill
Refrigerate the sweetened tea until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Alternatively, you can add ice when serving but note that melting ice will dilute the tea.
9
Serve over ice
Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). Pour the chilled sweet iced tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint. Taste and add additional syrup if needed.
10
Storage
Store leftover sweet iced tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. If the tea concentrates after chilling, stir before serving. Store extra simple syrup separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.