How To Make Iced Tea: 7 Amazing Recipes

The language of love that everyone understands is tea.

Tea is a great way to express gratitude, affirmation, and concern while spending time with someone.

Not only can a cup of hot tea warm the body, but it also warms the heart. Similarly, iced tea, one of the most popular summer drinks, is a beverage that can chill someone off and refresh them on a hot day.

One can easily make homemade iced tea and enjoy it to beat the heat on a hot day. Every region and culture has its ideas on how to make iced tea, and they are all delicious.

Here are our top 7 iced tea options and recipes on how to make iced tea.

1. What Is Iced Tea?

Iced tea is a cold beverage prepared from tea and is available as sweetened tea or unsweetened iced tea. There are different recipes on how to make iced tea. Lemon, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, peach, orange, strawberry, and cherry are just a few of the popular flavors that can be combined with iced tea in flavored syrup.

Because tea leaves are fermented, they have significantly more antioxidants than other types of tea. Along with a good diet and exercise, it is traditionally known to help manage weight, enhance digestion and metabolism, and naturally increase energy without jitters.

2. How Iced Tea Became Popular: History

The late Mr. Richard Blechynden, a British merchant, popularized iced tea during the World’s Fair hosted in St. Louis. He decided to provide free hot tea to attendees of the fair but quickly realized that they were reluctant to drink it in the heat. Blechynden and his group decided to use iced lead pipes to serve the tea cold.

This concept was well received by the audience at the fair and quickly became well-known in the USA as a cool beverage for summer gatherings. It quickly gained popularity worldwide, and many have their own take on how to make iced tea.

3. Advantages of Iced Tea

Iced tea provides a lot of health advantages. Since the beverage is high in antioxidants and has a far lower acidity than coffee, it is the perfect choice for people with delicate gastrointestinal systems. Iced tea also helps with digestion while accelerating metabolism.

4. Can Iced Tea Be Made from Any of the Teas?

Iced tea is typically made using black tea. However, white, green, and oolong tea can work exceptionally well without losing taste or scent. Some herbal teas, especially fruit and hibiscus combinations, taste great when served chilled.

5. Special Tea Bags

How to make iced tea if you cannot find loose tea leaves? No worries, some companies are marketing it as a convenience product because of the popularity of iced tea. Iced tea bags from Lipton and Nestle are very popular.

6. Cold Brew Tea

6.1. What Is Cold Brew Tea?

The cold-brewing process produces wonderful iced teas. Cold brew tea contains less caffeine, making it gentler on the stomach and suitable for most individuals at any time.

Though at a slower rate, using cold instead of hot water extracts more flavor. As a result, you get a smoother, less bitter, and more refreshing tea.

Extracting tea with cold water rather than hot creates more antioxidants, making it both tasty and healthy.

6.2. How to Make Cold Brew Tea?

Cold-brewing tea is also referred to as “fridge tea.” Although the method takes longer, it is simple to follow.

Now, how to make iced tea? Add two teaspoons of tea to each cup of water in a pitcher. Refrigerate for 8–10 hours, covered; the tea’s flavor intensifies as it infuses.

6.3. The Advantages of Cold Brew Tea

Now that we have answered the question “how to make iced tea,” let’s talk about “why iced tea.”

6.3.1. Reduces Caffeine By Half

Any tea can be cold brewed, and the technique normally reduces the caffeine concentration by half. The end product is a smooth, easy-to-drink tea that is both soothing and refreshing.

6.3.2. A Healthy Beverage

Cold brew tea has the same quantity of beneficial antioxidants as hot tea that help protect you from the effects of pollution.

It is also found that cold brew tea contains more active Vitamin C, which may help improve your immune system. It also contains vitamin D, which is important for bone strength, and vitamin B complex, which may help boost your metabolism.

6.3.3. Amazing Cold-Brewed Tea Flavor

Cold brewing tea differs from hot steeping as it allows the tea leaves to infuse gradually over time, resulting in a distinct balance of components. Cold brewing allows the tea to develop more complex flavor notes and smells, due to which the tea tastes great.

6.3.4. Keeps You Hydrated

A fantastic method to stay hydrated, especially on hot summer days, is to drink cold-brew tea. Since it’s a healthy beverage, you can drink it without worrying about harmful effects.

6.3.5. It’s a Simple Recipe

Nothing is simpler than putting loose-leaf tea or tea pouches in a pitcher or jar of cold water and letting them brew in the fridge. You just need to know how long to let the tea soak.

6.3.6. Cold-Brewed Tea Is More Lasting and Safer

Cold brew tea is maintained clean, fresh, and cooled; thus, there is no risk of microbe growth, in contrast to the possibility of microbes growing in Sun Tea brewing. A batch of cold-brewed tea can also be enjoyed for several days, provided it is kept chilled. Whereas hot-brewed tea should be consumed the day it is made.

6.3.7. It’s Sugar-Free

Cold brew tea is better if you’re attempting to cut back on sugar. Since the cold brew has a natural sweetness, sweeteners are not necessary.

7. Herbal Iced Tea

There are several flavors and health benefits to herbal teas, which are consumed all over the world. Ginger provides anti-inflammatory effects, peppermint improves immunity and digestion, and chamomile aids relaxation and sleep.

Teas made from fresh herbs can be a good source of nutrition (in the form of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) and can be used to enhance all different areas of our health.

8. How to Make Iced Tea: Iced Tea Recipes

There are various types of iced tea around the world. Despite being different, each iced tea recipe is really easy to follow.

8.1. Iced Tea

Homemade iced tea is a simple and refreshing drink famous for hot days. There are two variations for making iced tea. It can be hot brewed tea or cold brewed tea.

Ingredients

1. Tea bag or loose-leaf tea
2. Sweetener of choice
3. Water
4. Lemon slices (Optional)
5. Mint (Optional)

Process

The process of brewing iced tea is quite straightforward.

Hot Brewed

1. Simmer the water for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.
2. Add loose tea or tea bags to the water.
3. Let it steep until the required strength is reached.
4. Transfer it to a pitcher after cooling.

Cold Brewed

1. Simply combine loose-leaf tea or add tea bags with water in a pitcher and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours to allow the tea to infuse the water.
2. Remove the tea bags or tea and strain, and you have cold brew iced tea.

Cold brew tea can be served plain or with your favorite sweetener and add-ins.

8.2. Half and Half

Half and Half, also known as the Arnold Palmer, is a popular drink that combines half iced tea with half lemonade made from tart, sweet lemon, making it the perfect refresher on a hot day.

Ingredients 

1. Lemonade
2. Sugar
3. Cold-brewed black tea

Process

The recipe for this beverage is very simple. All you need is lemon, sugar, and black tea.

1. Steep tea leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes in a pitcher.
2. Filter the tea and add sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the tea and lemonade to a glass.
4. Chill before serving over ice cubes.
5. You can serve with lemon wedges as garnish.

8.3. Thai Iced Tea

Thai Iced Tea, a creamy, sweet, and orange drink, is a delight to anyone who enjoys spiced beverages.

Also known as Cha Yen, the beverage is a blend of black tea, spices, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

Ingredients

1. Loose-leaf black tea
2. Star anise
3. Cardamom
4. Sweetened condensed milk
5. Evaporated milk
6. Water
7. Sugar
8. Cinnamon stick (optional)
9. Vanilla bean (optional)
10. Tamarind powder (optional)
11. Almond extract (optional)

Process

The beverage is easy to make.

1. Boil water for 5 minutes. Add the tea, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, tamarind powder, and almond essence (if using) to the hot water.
2. Filter the tea.
3. Mix the sweetened condensed milk and sugar until all of the sugar is dissolved.
4. Fill a glass halfway with ice and pour the tea over it, leaving about an inch at the top for the evaporated milk.
5. Pour 1 teaspoon of evaporated milk into each glass of tea.

8.4. Peach Iced Tea

Peach iced tea is a delightful, light, and incredibly simple-to-make refreshing drink to cool off on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

1. Sugar
2. Peaches/ Peach syrup
3. Tea bag or loose leaf tea

Process

Recipe to Make Peach Syrup

1. Add the sugar to a water-filled pan. To make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, slowly bring it to a boil.
2. Chop the peaches and add them to the water to simmer until soft. Remove from the heat, mash the peaches using a fork, and set aside 1 hour to infuse.
3. Mash the fruit to release all the liquid, then strain the syrup through a fine strainer into a container.

Making Peach Tea

1. Boiling water should be added to the teabags or tea leaves in a big heatproof jug. Strain after 4 minutes of steeping. After allowing it to cool, place it in the refrigerator to chill.
2. The peach syrup can be added to the iced tea by stirring it with some ice, or it can be poured into a glass along with the tea.

8.5. Southern Sweet Tea

Black tea that has been sweetened and is served cold without milk is known as sweet tea. Sugar, syrups, or artificial sweeteners are added to sweeten it.

Lemon is typically used to flavor sweet tea, but peach, raspberry, and mint are also frequently used tastes.

Ingredients

1. Black Tea
2. Sugar
3. Ice
4. Water

Process

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it has boiled, remove it from the heat.
2. After 5 minutes of steeping, filter the tea.
3. Add the sugar to the tea.
4. Fill the pitcher with the tea base.
5. Pour sweet tea and water into the pitchers, then mix to blend.
6. Place in the refrigerator until very cold.
7. Serve chilled. If preferred, garnish each with lemon or mint.

8.6. Sun Tea

Sun tea is a popular iced tea beverage prepared by exposing a jar of tea leaves to the Sun. When boiled and iced, black tea can turn bitter. So, how to make iced tea that is not bitter? Sun tea helps with that as it alleviates the bitterness of black tea since the water is not boiled but rather heated by the Sun for a few hours, allowing the tea to be steeped without bitterness.

Bright sunshine assists in the long-brewing of Orange Pekoe tea and cold water into a profoundly flavored beverage that doesn’t taste bitter.

Ingredients

1. Cold water
2. Loose Orange Pekoe tea
3. Ice, for serving
4. Lemon slices and fresh mint (optional)

Process

The sun iced tea recipe has a long prep time but is a very straightforward process.

1. To brew sun tea, pour water over tea in a jar and steep in strong sunlight for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until deep brown and transparent.
2. Filter the tea.
3. Serve with a garnish and add ice.

8.7. Iced Raspberry Mint Tea

How to make fruity iced tea that has natural sweetness? Just make yourself a cup of refreshing iced raspberry mint tea. A refreshing beverage with a sweet berry flavor and a hint of mint, raspberry mint iced tea is a flavorful combination. It is a more flavorful and beneficial way to satisfy your thirst, as raspberries are abundant in antioxidants and high in vitamin C.

Ingredients

1. Tea bags or black tea
2. Water
3. Sugar
4. Fresh raspberries
5. Mint leaves

Process

1. Get water to boil. Remove it from the heat and add black tea leaves or bags to the brew.
2. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve it. Let the tea for an hour steep.
3. Remove the tea bags or tea and strain them into a pitcher. Stir in the raspberries and fresh mint, and chill in a closed container for at least two hours to let the tea infuse with flavor.
4. Serve chilled.
5. For an even stronger flavor, smash a few floating raspberries in the tea before serving.

9. How to Make Iced Tea: Conclusion

Tea has been and will continue to be a part of our lives. Iced tea tastes great and is a healthy beverage. Due to its refreshing qualities and several health advantages, it has become a popular beverage worldwide.

The question “how to make iced tea” will have several answers as there are many types of iced tea worldwide. Also, there are several ideas on how to make iced tea, and they are all wonderful summertime drinks.