Iced Tea Recipe

Heat water and steep

Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, add 6 black tea bags (or equivalent loose tea in an infuser), and steep for 5 minutes for a balanced strength or up to 8 minutes for a stronger tea. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain out loose tea. Gently press the tea bags against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor, but don't squeeze hard to avoid bitterness.

If you want sweetened iced tea, dissolve 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in 2 tablespoons hot water to make a simple syrup-like concentrate. Stir until fully dissolved, then whisk into the hot brewed tea while still warm so it incorporates evenly.

Let the brewed tea come down to lukewarm (about 15–20 minutes) at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, for faster cooling, pour the tea into a shallow heatproof container and place in an ice bath or pour over a pitcher half-filled with ice.

Before serving, add 4 cups cold water to the chilled concentrate to reach the desired strength and volume (adjust to taste).

Fill glasses with ice (about 3 cups total distributed among glasses). Pour the chilled iced tea over the ice. Garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of mint if using. Stir and serve immediately.

Store leftover iced tea refrigerated in a sealed pitcher for up to 3–4 days. If separation or cloudiness occurs after refrigeration, stir gently before serving.