Iced Tea Limeade Recipe

Steep the tea

Bring 1.5 liters of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes for a balanced strength (6–8 minutes for stronger tea).

After steeping, remove the tea bags, gently pressing them against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract liquid but not bitterness. Allow the tea to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the limeade (about 30 minutes).

Make simple lime syrup

In a small pitcher or bowl, combine 1 cup fresh lime juice and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. If sugar resists dissolving, warm 1/4 cup of the cold water, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then add remaining cold water to cool the syrup before combining with lime juice.

Add 1 cup cold water to the lime-sugar mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1–2 more tablespoons sugar if you prefer sweeter limeade, or dilute with up to 1/2 cup more cold water if too tart.

Combine the chilled tea and limeade syrup in a large pitcher. Typical ratio: 4 cups chilled tea to 1 cup limeade mixture for a balanced iced tea limeade. For the quantities above, combine approximately 4 cups (960 ml) chilled tea with all of the limeade mixture. Add ice to the pitcher or to individual glasses.

Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust: if the drink is too strong, add additional cold water or more chilled tea; if too tart, add a little more sugar dissolved in a tablespoon of warm water.

Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish each glass with lime wheels or wedges and a few fresh mint leaves if using. Serve immediately.