Fresh Brewed Iced Tea Recipe

Inspired by Wyld Child

Time2h

Serves8

Make Fresh Brewed Iced Tea Recipe in just 2h . 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.

1
Boil water
Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil in a kettle or saucepan.
2
Steep tea
Place 6 black tea bags into a heatproof pitcher (or use an infuser with 3 tablespoons of loose leaf). Pour the boiling water over the tea, cover the pitcher with a lid or plate, and steep for 5 minutes for a standard-strength brew or 7–8 minutes for stronger flavor. Avoid steeping longer than 10 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.
3
Remove tea bags
After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags (or strain out loose leaves). Gently press each bag against the side of the pitcher with a spoon to extract remaining brewed tea, but don’t squeeze aggressively to avoid bitterness.

4
Make simple syrup (if sweetening)
If you want sweet tea, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup hot water in a heatproof measuring cup or small saucepan. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves, producing a clear simple syrup. Let cool slightly (a few minutes).
5
Sweeten the tea
Stir the prepared simple syrup into the hot brewed tea while it is still warm so it blends evenly. Taste and adjust: use less syrup (start with 1/2 cup) for lightly sweet tea, or add up to the full 1 cup for classic southern-style sweetness.

6
Dilute and chill
Add 6 cups of cold or chilled filtered water to the brewed (and sweetened, if using) tea to dilute to serving strength. Stir to combine. Allow the tea to come to room temperature for about 15–20 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered until thoroughly chilled, about 1–2 hours.
7
Serve over ice
Fill glasses with ice (about 1/2 to 1 cup ice per glass). Pour the chilled tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Stir before drinking.
8
Storage
Store leftover iced tea in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. If stored with added lemon, consume within 2–3 days for best flavor.