Making Ice Tea at Home


Cold Brew Iced Tea- *this brewing method tea does not get acidic the longer it brews

Iced Tea teabag painting in watercolor
watercolor by Susan Walker Art

To make cold brew iced tea, it is quite simple. I recommend five Tablespoons of loose leaf tea per gallon of water. You can adjust the amount based off of the desired amount you wish to brew. Natural tea bags are a great way to store the loose leaf tea as it brews or a larger reusable filter may do the trick. Make sure you give plenty of room for the tea to expand as it brews. This I find is key to getting more out of your loose leaf tea.

After placing your loose leaf tea in your tea bag or reusable filter put the tea bag in water that is room temperature or cold filter. Warm water adds more minerals and can change the flavor. Brew time can be anywhere from 12 hours to 24+ depending upon the desired strength. The great benefit to cold brew style tea is that it will not get acidic the longer you brew it.

I like to take about 1-2 cups of tea after brewing, tea leaves removed and warm it up. I then add my honey or sugar. Stirring, once dissolved I add this to the rest of the tea to sweeten. About 6 drops of doTERRA lemon essential oil to a gallon, chill to perfection.

Instant Iced Tea

One of the other more popular iced tea preparations would be the “instant iced tea” recipe. There are two varieties of this method and I’ll cover both for you. This is a super quick brew time and is more suited for individual cups versus an entire pitcher of iced tea.

To make it using hot filtered water simply brew your desired tea double strength. Once it has finished brewing I remove tea bag, add sweetener and stir till dissolved. and simply pour it over a cup of ice. This hot brew method is an easy preparation method that is quick and easy. One drop of lemon essential oil is enough for a large glass.

To make instant iced tea using cold filtered water simply brew your desired tea double strength. This time however make sure the ice cubes are included with the water and teabag. You can leave the teabag in for as long as you would like. This method enables a cold brew style like tea that will increase its strength throughout the day.

One of my favorite organic teas is Passion Blend. A wonderful balance of fresh and sweet. Organic green rooibos is blended with organic hibiscus flowers and organic lemongrass for a light flavor with a sweet & sour kick. Caffeine free and great hot or iced!

pop over to my tea shop to order some of your own.

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