Gallon Unsweet Tea Recipe
Make Gallon Unsweet Tea Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Tea concentrate
To finish (to make 1 gallon)
Method
Make the tea concentrate
- 1
- 2
Steep tea
Place 1 cup loose black tea (or 8 black tea bags) in a heatproof pitcher or bowl. Pour the 6 cups of boiling water over the tea. Cover to retain heat and steep for 5 minutes for a brisk unsweet black tea, or up to 7 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.
- 3
Strain
If you used loose tea, strain the leaves through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large measuring pitcher. If you used tea bags, remove and discard the bags, gently pressing to extract liquid but not squeezing hard (to avoid bitterness). Allow the concentrate to cool for 10–15 minutes at room temperature.
Dilute and chill to make 1 gallon
- 4
In a clean 1-gallon (or larger) pitcher, pour the cooled tea concentrate.
- 5
Add 10 cups cold filtered water to the pitcher and stir gently to combine. Taste the tea; this ratio yields a classic unsweet iced tea strength (about 1:2 concentrate to water). If you prefer a lighter tea, add up to 2 more cups cold water. If you want a stronger tea, reduce the water by 1–2 cups.
- 6
Refrigerate the pitcher until well chilled, at least 1–2 hours. If you need it immediately, add 2–4 cups of ice to cool quickly, but be aware ice will dilute as it melts.
