Making Ice Tea With Bags How To Choose The

Most high-quality tea will use fresh fruit instead of syrup, although syrup is a good alternative if you dont have any fruit on hand and need to make iced tea last minute.

Whether you prefer creamy iced tea with hints of vanilla or tangy brews enhanced by tart lemons, iced tea is an easy-to-brew beverage that brightens up any tea party or backyard barbecue.

You can create fruity iced teas that complement dcor at a fancy brunch, blend sweet teas that pair perfectly with savory Southern dishes or make creamy, vanilla-infused teas that are smooth and delicious.

Making Ice Tea With Bags How To Choose The

Find out how to choose the right tea bags and make delectable iced tea that cools and refreshes.

Tea bags are convenient and allow you to brew iced tea recipes with ease.

Since the loose tea leaves are already contained in the bags, you dont need to worry about purchasing other tea tools such as strainers or tea balls.

Tea masters often avoid tea bags because they contain the dust and fannings of leaves rather than the whole leaves.

The broken leaves lose more essential oils through evaporation, which can lead to stale and dull-tasting teas.

While tea bags generally get a bad rap among tea connoisseurs for having less flavor and health benefits than tea leaves, there are still some great options.

Their convenience makes them a great choice, particularly for brewing iced tea or family size portions.

When selecting tea bags, look for larger sachets that allow the tea leaves to absorb water and expand.

This extra room enables further infusion of flavors and aromas for a better tasting tea.

Tea socks, pyramid-shaped bags and tea pouches are all great choices when it comes to making iced tea with tea bags.

Select tea bags that contain whole leaves whenever possible to maximize flavor.

Now that you know which tea bags to use, lets get to the nitty gritty of the brewing process.

You can use any black tea you like, although Ceylon and Keemun black teas work best since they wont become cloudy when cooled.

You can also opt for our Island Coconut Black Tea for a tropical note.

Bring water to a boil, turn off heat and immediately add the black tea bags to the boiling water.

Most black teas can be brewed using water temperatures between 200 and 212 F.

If you decide to use a more delicate black tea such as Darjeeling tea, heat your water to 180 or 190 F instead.

While not as sensitive to temperature as green tea, some black teas can still develop astringent flavors if brewed too hot.

Steep for 3 minutes and taste every 30 seconds to ensure your desired flavor.

Once the tea reaches room temperature, add 2 cups of cold water to the pitcher.

If desired, add 1 cup lemon juice to the tea to make it an Arnold Palmer and garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves for a beautiful display.