Gallon Of Iced Tea (unsweet/sweet) Recipe

Boil

Bring 4 cups (1 quart) of water to a rolling boil in a kettle or saucepan.

Steep

Remove from heat. Add 8 black tea bags to the hot water. Cover and steep 5 minutes for bright flavor, 7 minutes for stronger tea. Do not exceed 8 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

Remove Bags

After steeping, remove the tea bags, gently pressing them against the side to extract liquid (avoid squeezing too hard to limit tannic bitterness).

Cool Slightly

Let the concentrated brewed tea cool for 10–15 minutes while you prepare sweetener if using.

If making sweet tea, make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until sugar fully dissolves and the syrup is clear (do not need to boil vigorously). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

If using honey, gently warm equal parts honey and water (or dissolve honey into warm brewed tea) so it blends easily. Adjust sweetness to taste.

In a clean 1-gallon pitcher, pour in the brewed tea concentrate (the 4 cups). Add the prepared simple syrup if making sweet tea: add all of the syrup for a moderately sweet gallon (adjust to taste).

Add 6 cups of cold water to the pitcher to bring the total volume to 1 gallon (16 cups). Stir thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust: add more cold water to weaken or more syrup to sweeten. If you prefer unsweetened, do not add syrup — simply add the 6 cups cold water.

If you steeped fewer or more tea bags, or steeped a shorter time, adjust strength by adding or removing a cup of water before final chilling.

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1–2 hours until cold. For faster cooling, add 2 cups of ice to the pitcher, then transfer to refrigerator once chilled (note: additional ice will dilute the tea).

When serving, fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per 8–12 oz glass). Pour tea over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and mint if desired.

Store any leftover iced tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving, as natural settling may occur.