The iced tea we know and consume today tastes far from the hot tea we usually drink. It’s more like sugar-flavored tea and the taste is really far from tea you make from tea bags.
But the tea bags you buy from grocery stores are perfect for iced tea as well. While not as sweet as powdered Nestea or Lipton, they’re doubly refreshing.
Using hot water can over-extract the tannins in the tea which leaves the tea bitter. So to make the best iced tea from tea bags, the cold brew method is the way to go.
Cold brewing is really easy. You just have to dunk the tea bag in room temperature or cold water and then store it in the fridge for a few hours before throwing away the tea bag. You can do this in batches because the cold brew iced tea will still taste good for up to five days.
For every tea bag, use about 175 ml of water. If you’re using green or white tea, steep the tea bag in the water for 6-8 hours. For black tea, steep it for 8-12 hours.
If you want to upgrade your cold brew iced tea, use loose leaf tea. You can even just snip the tea bag and then dump the loose leaf into the water. Simply strain it after the recommended number of hours.
Once you have the cold brew iced tea ready, you can tweak the flavors further by adding lemon or sweeteners. Even with these add-ons, you still get the refreshing taste of homemade iced tea!
READ: Know Which Tea is Best for You and Your Body
Thumbnail photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels
