The invention of iced tea is owed to Richard Blechynden, a tea company representative from England who was promoting Indian tea at the St Louis World's Fair in 1904. It was a hot day and hot tea wasn't doing so well. He added ice to the tea and it was a big hit!
Traditional Southern Iced Tea Recipe
Traditional iced tea has three main ingredients: Black tea, ice, water + slice of lemon. Here's the simple recipe you can adapt at home. You can use any black tea, or a black tea with florals included (French Earl Grey is beautiful).
In the United States, tea is most often enjoyed sweet and cold. We encourage you to try this tea without the sugar. If you find the tea too dry or bitter, try brewing the tea for a shorter time or in cooler water before adding sweetener. An alternative to cane sugar is stevia powder which is extracted from the stevia leaf, or honey.
Ingredients
1 Jug (8 cups) of Iced Tea
- 8 teaspoons of black tea or any flavour of your choice
- 8 cups of filtered water
- 2 lemons sliced
- Ice cubes
Method
- Boil 8 cups of water in pot
- Once water has come to a boil, add tea and stir
- Steep 3-5 minutes, depending on your preference for strength of tea
- Strain into a jug and cool to room temperature
- Once cooled refrigerate until cold
- Add sliced lemon for a refreshing citrus flavour
- Serve over ice
Enjoy your homemade iced tea. To sweeten add 1/4 teaspoon stevia or honey per glass.
Serving Ideas
- Add a few mint leaves to the glass when serving
- Try different tea blends to see which you prefer
- Cold brew overnight
- Sunshine brew (in glass jar, left out in the sun for 6 hours to warm)
Variations to Iced Tea
Add fruit such as peaches or raspberries to your tea for a flavour kick!
What is Stevia Leaf / Powder
The stevia plant is a small bushy herb with tiny leaves similar to mint. Each leaf packs a punch of sweetness and has zero calories. It's about 100-300 times sweeter than sugar but it has no carbohydrates.
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