Lemon Iced Tea Recipe

Boil water

Bring 8 cups of cold water to a rolling boil in a kettle or large saucepan.

Steep tea

Place 4 black tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a strong brew (6-7 minutes if you prefer very strong iced tea).

Sweeten while hot

Remove the tea bags after steeping, pressing gently against the side of the pitcher to extract flavor without bitterness. While the tea is still hot, add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved to make a simple sweetened tea concentrate. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Cool to room temperature

Allow the sweetened tea to cool at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes (or place in an ice bath to cool faster) before adding lemon juice, to prevent dilution or curdling of citrus flavor.

Add lemon juice

Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, stir in 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4–6 lemons, depending on size). If preferred, add 1 tablespoon lemon zest now for extra brightness. Taste and adjust: add more lemon juice for tang or a little more sugar if it became too tart.

Chill

Refrigerate the lemon iced tea for at least 1–2 hours until thoroughly chilled. Chilling also allows flavors to meld.

Serve over ice

To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour the chilled lemon iced tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and 2–3 fresh mint leaves if using. Stir gently and serve immediately.

Make-ahead & storage

Store leftover iced tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. If separation occurs, stir gently before serving. Do not freeze—citrus may become cloudy if frozen and thawed.