Iced Tea (sweet Or Unsweet) Recipe

Bring water to boil

Pour 8 cups of cold water into a kettle or saucepan and bring just to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Steep the tea

Remove the water from heat. Add 6 black tea bags (or 3 tablespoons loose black tea in a tea infuser). Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a standard strength iced tea, 6–8 minutes for stronger flavor. Do not over-steep beyond 8 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

Remove tea leaves

After steeping, remove the tea bags (or lift out the infuser). Gently squeeze the tea bags against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor, then discard.

Make simple syrup (one-cup sugar option)

If you want sweet iced tea, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup hot water in a heatproof measuring cup or small saucepan. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves to make a simple syrup.

Combine syrup with hot tea

While the brewed tea is still warm, stir in the prepared simple syrup until uniform. Taste and adjust sweetness: for less sweet, add half the syrup; for more sweet, add more (up to about 1 1/4 cups total sugar dissolved). If making unsweet tea, skip this step.

Stir 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice into the warm tea to brighten flavor, if desired. Adjust to taste — more lemon for a tangier finish. Save lemon slices for garnish.

Cool the tea to room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until chilled, about 1–2 hours. For faster cooling, set the covered pitcher in an ice bath or add a handful of ice and allow to melt slightly, then top up with additional iced tea (not all ice).

To serve, fill glasses with ice (about 3/4 full). Pour chilled tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig if desired.

Storage: Refrigerate leftover tea in a covered pitcher for up to 4–5 days. If sweetened, keep refrigerated and stir before serving; if flavor has concentrated, dilute with cold water to taste.