In the summertime, I love a fresh brewed glass of iced tea. Personally, I don’t like artificial sweeteners, and I don’t particularly like sweetened tea because it seems to make me more thirsty than when I started. I like my tea to have flavor, but I want it to come from natural sources.
Recently, I developed a great way to make iced tea that appeals to sweet tea fans and those who prefer it unsweetened. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to make, but I generally make it a few hours before and allow it to sit for the flavors to intensify. You can serve it right away if you prefer—it will still taste delicious.
Start with a basic iced tea recipe. In a large pitcher, take one cup of very hot water and add eight tea bags. I typically use black mango tea, but any tea will do. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags ,and add seven cups of cold water to the tea. You could stop at this point and have plain tea, but I like to take it up a notch and create a truly interesting tea experience.
The next step is to add the peel of citrus fruit to the tea. I generally use oranges, but limes, lemons, grapefruit or any peel that you like will work. f you like mint in your tea, now is the time to add fresh mint as well.
The final step is crucial. To avoid bitterness in your tea, simply add a pinch of baking soda to your pitcher of tea. The baking soda will eliminate the bitterness and also make your tea less cloudy, giving it a more desirable appearance.
Serve in a tall glass with ice. Sweeten if desired, but you don’t really need it. The tea will keep about three days in your refrigerator, but chances are, it will be long gone!
