Cold Brew Iced Tea!
Updated: Jul 27, 2021
It's summertime and as things heat up a tall glass of fresh brewed iced tea is my preferred way of cooling down. I think I shared in a previous blog about how I drank an entire pitcher of black currant one hot afternoon at Sterling Tea (yes, it was that good)...but I digress.
Sterling tea has made it easy to make the perfect iced tea with our 100 gram iced tea packets! Each 100-gram pouch makes 3 gallons of iced tea (about 48 servings) each hand-blended to make a delicious cup of iced tea. Check out our Iced Tea page here.
There are many ways of making iced tea. I remember my mother's old tea jar used specifically for sun tea. Of course, that was before I discovered loose leaf, good loose leaf tea. I've come a long way baby!
I've been using my good 'ole Mr. Coffee iced tea maker forever but I recently discovered cold brew. We are talking easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Can you say YUM! I'm not sure how it's possible but it tastes better (not bitter, ha! ha!) and seems to stay fresher longer.
We all know brewing makes all the difference to a cup of tea. Leave the teabag in too long and it’s bound to get bitter. Take it out too soon and it will taste weak. With cold brewing, you don’t have to worry about timing. Cold-water extracts flavors more slowly and naturally so the result is less bitter and cleaner than methods using hot tea brews. Here's how I make my cold brew iced tea concentrate:
Add up to 4 Tbsp. loose leaf tea to 1 qt. filtered water. 1qt canning jar works like a charm!
Refrigerate green teas, white teas, and herbals for 2-6 hours and black and oolong teas for 6-10 hours. Or, brew to taste. (remember if you want stronger tea, don't brew longer, add more leaf)
Strain and serve over ice. (I love using our Easy Infuser!)
Did you know cold-brewed tea retains more antioxidants than hot brewed teas? Studies also show that cold-brewed teas contain about half (or two-thirds) the amount of caffeine. Read my blog The Caffeine Debate: Good or Bad? to learn more about caffeine and tea.
As always, brewing a great cup of tea adds to your enjoyment of drinking tea. Our 3 tips are a perfect way to get started, Sign up and these tips are yours free!
Get 3 Tips on How To Make a Perfect cup of Tea Here
Go out, enjoy the sunshine and stay hydrated with some refreshing cold brew iced tea.
Be well and drink more tea!
Ang.
