iced tea season!

soapandwater · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 945

Okay, that's exaggerating because I drink iced tea all year, being Southern or at least saying I'm Southern when I drink a lot of iced tea.

But lately I've found that my cinnamon-plum black tea made a GREAT iced tea. I don't like mine strong, so I only used three tea bags (I usually use four, which probably isnt' that strong, either) for eight cups of water and way too much sugar than is probably healthy.

Of course, the tea I used is the expensive stuff they sell at places like Barnes and Noble, but it's so good!

What other teas do you use? There's some weird, sick part of me that wants to try earl grey with ice, but I dont' think that'd be a good idea.
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Katrin · Posted: Wed May 19, 2004 5:42 pm Post subject:

A women's group I belong to always offers a choice of coffee or iced tea at its meetings. The coffee is disgusting weak decaf (we have many senior citizen members), but the iced tea is the best ever. I think it's simply half regular black tea and half peppermint - unsweetened of course. I should really remember to make it at home more often.

heathertea · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 18 Location: bay area, CA

oooh I love iced tea! I really love icing the flavored black teas that the republic of tea makes (the ones they ususally sell at B&N). I like the mango papaya one, yum! I also have an apple spice celyon tea that is good iced.

oh yeah and I have orange spice and mango spice! I don't know what the "spice" is in these, I think something cinnimon-y. I drink peppermint-ginger-fennel tea every day hot, lately I am wondering if I should try it iced. It's such a weird combo, not sure how it would taste.

I really want to try that 1/2 black 1/2 peppermint tea too. sound good!

topazdebutante · Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 38

Ginger peach is really good. Also Tropical Paradise that they sell at Trader Joes is so very yummy.
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glassprincess · Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 50

CraftinFool · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 809 Location: New England

How do you guys make the iced tea - do you do sun tea? Or some other way?

schnitzle · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 72 Location: Seattle

My favorite mexican food restaurant in seattle called Gordito's makes the best iced tea. As far as I can tell the major difference is that they add apple slices to the tea, but it's gooooood!
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glassprincess · Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 50

soapandwater · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 945

Oooh, glassprincess, that's an interesting way to do it. It makes sense.

I myself either brew it (but I have to be in the mood to thoroughly clean the coffee pot, I'm the only one in the house who can taste traces of coffee in tea, as I'm not addicted to coffee like my mom) using eight cups of water and however many tea bags I want. Like I said, in my case, it ranges from 3-4.

After it's brewed, I pour it in the pitcher with about a cup of sugar, sometimes less. I usually put ice cubes in it to dilute it/cool it down. I stir. Like crazy.

As an alternative to the coffee pot, I boil all the water I want on the stove and let it seep. It's usually not as strong this way because A.) I don't have the patience to let it steep and B.) I don't really like strong tea.

Now I'm tempted to try the earl grey...
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glassprincess · Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 50

Karen · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 1:16 pm Post subject:

I make lazy tea. I put 8 herb "tea" bags in a 2-quart pitcher, cover with water & stick in the fridge for at least two hours -- usually overnight. Since there's no tannin (unlike tea), it never gets bitter. Sometimes I use only 4 bags & when it's done add 1/2 cup fresh lemon &/or lime juice & sugar to taste. My favorites: Tazo Passion (hibiscus with mango & passion fruit flavors -- they serve it iced at Starbucks) and Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger (hibiscus, wild rosehips & lemongrass).

Mathias · Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 102 Location: Virginia

Since I've *yet* to find a box of organic black/orange pekhoe tea bags, I simply use our local grocery stores generic brand of tea bags. I fill my teapot up about half way and heat it right until the teapot just faintly whistles. (I've read that once you boil the water, or even boil it for a little bit of time, you've taken the oxygen out of the water which changes the taste of your tea.) Then I add ten of the smallish tea bags and let it steap for 10-15 minutes. I pour this concentrate to my tea pitcher and add one cup of sugar plus the juice of one lemon. I fill the pitcher to the 10 cup mark and stir. Easy peasy.

I have used St. Dalfour and Twinnings tea bags for my regular iced tea, but it's just so expensive after a while.

My favorite hot tea, though, is Twinnings' Lady Grey--I'm sure it'd make an awesome iced tea.

danielepea · Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 185 Location: NOLA

I don't have much to add. I just wanted to say that I really love iced tea. I am inspired to go home and experiment with the different flavors I have around the house. Perhaps green jasmine...
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soapandwater · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 945

Lady Grey... mmm.

Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed by all the different teas of the world. I think this is the sign of an addiction.
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When you got a hundred voices singin',
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honeybee · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 285 Location: appalachia

i make an herbal iced tea that we drink like water in summer.

*steep 8 teabags of herbal raspberry tea for 15 minutes.
*add i can frozen apple juice concentrate and water to make a gallon.