 5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Iced tea is made for summer. It's there to quench your thirst in the heat, to tote to countless cookouts, and to leisurely sip on a front porch swing. Best of all, it's a breeze to make. All you need is tea and water, plus a little sugar if you're so inclined. Here to steep you in a little tea know-how is David De Candia, the Tea Director for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a specialty coffee and tea retailer. Five Tips for Making the Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea at Home: David De Candia 1. Use filtered water Temperature also makes a discernible difference. It’s ideal to use water that is just under boiling, around 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit. Although boiling water may remove some of the chemical flavors of tap water, it also removes many of its important elements and nutrients. I also recommend heating the water on the stove, not in the microwave, to ensure the temperature is consistent and even throughout." 2. Keep it consistent The rule of consistency also applies to temperature. Let the tea sit for 45 minutes at room temperature before chilling it, as abrupt changes can alter the delicate flavors." 3. The tea isn’t always greener 4. Just say no to sun brews Properly brewed teas will have a clear, consistent color, lots of flavor and won’t need any add-ins. It should also be noted that sun brewing can also attract a lot of unnecessary bacteria in your beverage." 5. Build up the flavor with broken tea In terms of the type of tea, I usually gravitate toward medium-bodied black teas. My general rule of thumb is to find a tea that has enough body and heft to it to stand up to the cool water. Because heat intensifies flavor, a tea when brewed hot that might come across as too strong on the palate might be the perfect choice for a refreshing pitcher of iced tea." Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. See all our best grilling advice at Grilling 101 |
  Recent Posts
 |
 |
|
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
Unsweetened with lemon, please & thank you. Unsweetened mango, raspberry or peach flavors are good, too.
Anyone have tips on how to make "uncloudy" tea?
I like to boil water with sugar in a pot and when the water is boiled I add a few slices of peaches and 5/6 tea black or orange pekoe tea bags). I pour the water into a pitcher with more peach slices and ice cubes when the tea becomes pretty cool. Perfect summer drink for a barbeque!
Personally, I like Luzianne tea.
I bring about 2 quarts of filtered water to a boil, then take it off and stick a probe thermometer in and wait until the water hits 195 degrees. Add 4 Luzianne tea bags, cover the pot with the lid, then let it steep for an hour and a half. Next, discard the bags and mix in 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to cut the bitterness. Then I add 1/2 teaspoon pure Stevia powder (not Truvia – pure, unadulterated, Stevia powder. I have to order it online, I've never found it in a store) and 1/3 cup of sugar. I add the sugar because Stevia powder leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and the sugar seems to cut it/round it out/whatever. I pour the mixture into a pitcher and add another 2 quarts of filtered water. Stir to mix the tea evenly and refrigerate.
16 calories per 8 ounce serving for what is, to me, a good iced tea with decent sweetness.
Infusion is an infusion. I have discovered over the years to steep tea bags in cold water produces an iced tea just as good as those made with boiling water. Do not fall for the cold water brews. Made by steeping in the fridge is as good as the old fashioned sun tea or boiling water method. the sweetener and amount of ice is what really makes it your fav.
Iced tea is a nice treat on a hot Summer day.
For a good supermarket bought tea, without getting into specialty teas, Tetley is superior to Lipton, also Red Rose, tho it's hard to find west of MS.
Does anyone know why i can no longer find bigelow plain ole oolong tea? Has everything gone to the horrid green tea now? I prefer oolong hot but have now switched to stronger irish breakfast tea.
i brew my tea in the coffee pot, makes it a excellent jug of sweet tea.
Yep, and I brew it double strength in the coffee pot so all them ice cubes end up diluting the tea in the glass just right. And I taint that tea (yea boy, howdy who doesn't like a taint) with a whole clove, some sin-e-mon stick and a orange rind if one is still near the cutting board. Get it just right by adding a right amount of bourbon in it and that smile will last longer than the ice tea.
I prefer Jasmine Tea – hot or chilled
We might be neighbors, John. I prefer my tea unsweetened, and rather weak, and I add lemon (not lemonade). Lately I've been using Jasmine Green tea for homemade Kombucha and it's wonderful. I buy it at the Asian market on So. Pkwy.
I'm from the south. I am NOT an overweight diabetic. I do enjoy sweet tea. Don't be such a bigot. . . I bet you are an ugly bugger.
I heart tea! Unsweet, and if it is iced with lemon. Hot – with a "cloud" of milk.
Lipton sweetened with honey and lemon.
Lipton is pretty much blasphemy to most tea lovers.
I agree with the other Lauren. Lipton – YUCK! Especially that Lipton diet green tea... so bad.
Yep! The only exception is their Russian Earl Grey, which I have never been able to find in the U.S.
yeppers Lipton is a sour puss. It got a bite, it be bitter.
a sour puss with teeth.
Sweet tea with lemon! The quintessential summertime beverage.
Add just a pinch of baking soda while brewing and you'll get a darker, richer tea without the bitterness you can get from over steeping.
In the real south, there is no un-sweet iced tea.
In the "real south" there are a lot of overweight diabetics, too.
say that to one's face and you get set upon by the shweaty crack. Respect the shweaty crack.
There is, but they have to brew it up specially! I usually don't bother them & have been known to just water down sweet tea. I'm a wuss.
Come on Dean, you know that when we order tea they ask us if we want sweet or unsweet (usually for the people who use artificial sweetener). But, I agree that, traditionally, people think of our Southern tea as sweet. Ocassionally, it's so sweet it makes your teeth hurt, lol.
More tea nonsense.
#1: H2O does not have "important elements and nutrients", let alone ones that will be removed by heat. (Cold) water contains oxygen, the flavour carrier of tea, which is why any brewed tea should start with cold water.
#2:one tea bag is NOT "proportional to 16 oz. of water", unless one is drinking weak tea. Keep in mind that most people drink cold tea with ice, which dilutes – if anything, one should brew stronger tea.
#5: "Dust" and "fannings" are industry terms for tea grades, not quality grades. Most commercial filling machines can process dust into teabags. To tell people to look for "broken" tea leaves for iced tea is to send people on a wild goose chase.
#4: Sun tea does not invite any more bacteria than tea brewed in a teapot. Both are closed enviornments.
Rule of thumb: any tea that can be brewed hot can be enjoyed cold. The Asians have been doing this for thousands of years, just without ice.
To your first point...I think I've heard this before. So you would brew the tea with cold water, and then heat it after the fact if you wanted it hot?
You tell em', Tea Mom! Thanks.
I quit using boiled ( or hot ) water for my iced tea years ago. Too many issues with it being bitter or weak or too strong.
I use Lipton bags in COLD water then put it in the fridge. I make it strong, then add sugar and lemon. Same way for 30 years. Dee-lish.
More clueless MOM nonsense!
1. Only extensively filtered water or distilled water is actually "pure" H2O! The cold water from your tap is INDEED FULL of MANY natural minerals (which vary according to your water source) and other intentional additives such alum, chlorine and flouride! Boiling the water DOES INDEED remove the obvious taste of most of these ingredients!
2. Individual serving size teabags should be used with about 6 to 8 ounces of water, but the commonly used QUART size tea bags should INDEED be used with about 16 to 32 ounces of water depending upon how much ice you to intend to add!
5. Tea "fannings" are the leftover powdery bits of tea that break off from loose "broken" tea and ARE INDEED considered to be LOWER quality than loose "broken" tea!
4. Sun tea brewing is accomplished by leaving a clear container of water and tea in the sun for several hours. If you are using plain tapwater like you have already implied, you are VERY LIKELY to increase the bacteria content of your water due to the warm, but not boiling temperature of the sun-warmed container. The resulting temperature range is ABSOLUTELY IDEAL for growing bacteria!
You might want to actually do some research before presuming that you know more than the author!
McCain's tea bags are filled with dust.
lolol
Here to steep you in a little tea know-how...
I see what you did there.
that was tepid at best.