Ice Tea Recipe
Make Ice Tea 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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Tea Base
Sweetener (optional)
Citrus & Flavor
To Serve
Method
Tea Base
Brew the tea
Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, add the 6 black tea bags (or equivalent loose leaf in an infuser) and steep for 5 minutes for medium strength or up to 7 minutes for stronger tea. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.
Remove tea bags
After steeping, remove the tea bags (or strain out loose leaf) and gently press the bags against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract remaining liquid, then discard the bags/leaves.
Sweetener (optional)
Make simple syrup from sugar
If using sugar, place 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and add 2 tablespoons hot water. Stir until fully dissolved to create a quick syrup. Stir the syrup into the hot brewed tea while still warm so it dissolves evenly. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.
Citrus & Flavor
Add lemon and mint
Stir in 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice into the warm tea. Add about half of the mint leaves (6 leaves) to the warm tea and gently bruise them between your fingers before adding to release oils. Reserve remaining mint and all lemon slices for serving.
To Serve
Cool and dilute
Allow the tea to cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Alternatively, pour the warm tea over a pitcher filled with 4 cups of ice and 4 cups cold water to shock-cool and dilute to a balanced strength. Stir to combine and melt some ice if needed.