The recipe: cold infusion

In my opinion, the best way is with cold infusion, that is, pour the tea leaves (about 10 – 12 g or 3 – 4 soup spoons per liter. For a flavored tea, even 2-3 tablespoons may suffice) infused in cold (or room temperature) water instead of hot water. This way you get a tasty iced tea without having to add any other ingredients or sweeteners to make it lovely. Plus it will be different every day because you can indulge in using new tea leaves all the time.

Caution: remember to store it in the refrigerator or at least in a cool place during infusion!

The difference between cold and hot infusion is not only in the temperature of the water, but also in the infusion time. Cold infusion is in fact a slow infusion that needs about 6 hours to express itself at its best. This is why I successfully use this strategy: I start brewing cold tea in the evening, before going to sleep, put it in the refrigerator, and when I wake up the whole thing is ready to enjoy throughout the day (even the next day if it stays…never happens to me, though).

What types of tea are best suited for cold brewing? Find my recommendations here

What is usually done? You brew the tea with hot water and then let it cool. It can be done, but green tea does not come out well.

How to make iced tea at home with teabags

I also use the cold brew technique with classic teabags. The only difference? The quantity. Usually in fact a sachet contains only 1.2 to 1.5 g of tea, and for a good iced tea you need to use several, otherwise the end result may be unconvincing.

For one liter of water I recommend that you put at least 8 tea bags in a pitcher. Pour over cold or room temperature water and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Remove the tea bags and serve your excellent homemade iced tea. If you like, you can add a few fresh mint leaves or a few drops of lemon juice.

Sugar-free

Not everyone likes iced teas because the ones you find ready-made in mass retailers are too sweet. By preparing this drink at home you can eliminate this problem and decide for yourself whether to add sugar or leave the drink as it is.

The addition of honey is interesting because it allows you to play with the many sensory nuances of this food. Indeed, a chestnut honey could enhance some teas, such as some Japanese Sencha teas that naturally contain hints of boiled chestnut. A sunflower honey, on the other hand, could give an extra note to an Indian Assam black tea. And these are just a few examples. Are you ready to have fun with many different combinations?

History of iced tea

And do you know when and where iced tea was invented? In 1879 in the cookbook Housekeeping in Old Virginia by American Marion Cabell Tyree the recipe for iced tea as we know it today is recommended. Other earlier recipe books used to combine iced green tea with alcohol, and in general iced tea was one of the ingredients in English and American cocktails of the time, but not a drink to be drunk on its own. That was until 1879, in fact.

Until the early 1900s, iced tea was prepared with green tea leaves. These were later replaced with black tea leaves because they were cheaper, and this custom has remained. Only in recent years, even commercially, have iced green teas reappeared given their properties. For me, however, they are too sugary and so I prefer to brew iced tea at home in a completely natural way