What is iced tea?In simple terms, iced tea is just cold tea. Organic tea which is known for its aroma and flavor is quite refreshing during hot summer. Making of iced tea is quite simple and does not take much time.
How to prepare iced tea?
Tea bags: For making eight cups of tea, about 15 tea bags are required. Of course, it depends on how strong the tea should be. If you want more strong tea, use more bags. For light tea, reduce the number of bags accordingly.
Boil water: Take about eight cups of water, put a pinch of baking soda and then boil the water. Be sure that it is normal water which we use for regular cooking.
Tea bags: Take a heat proof pitcher; put the required tea bags in it. Once the water starts to boil, take it out of flame and pour the boiling water on the tea bags in the pitcher. Ensure that all the tea bags are submerged in the hot water. Allow the tea bags to stay in the hot water for about five minutes. If it is left for too much of time, then tannin present in the tea may get into the water in excess quantity and the tea may taste bitter. Of course, baking soda will reduce the bitterness. But baking soda may not work well if the tannin content is more than the minimum level.
Remove tea bags: After about five minutes, remove tea bags and add required quantity of sugar. Some prefer sugar syrup because it mixes well and fast. Add some lemon juice which enhances the taste and the aroma. But adding lemon is only optional. Some would prefer to add mint or apple juice to get a different flavor. Similarly, if you prefer, add cloves also. All these give different flavors for the tea. Actually, apple juice sweetens the tea. Depending on your choice, fruit juices like grape juice, orange juice, etc. can be added to the tea.
Refrigerate: Allow the tea to cool to room temperature and then keep the liquid in the refrigerator for about one to two hours. Now your iced tea is ready. Pour it in long glasses and add some ice cubes before serving.
