Basic black iced tea recipe

June 21, 6:57 PMTea ExaminerMargaret Studer

Basic black iced tea is one of the simplest things in the world to make. Unfortunately people tend to mess it up by either making it too weak or brewing it so long that it turns bitter. Properly brewed black tea isn’t bitter and can be drunk unsweetened. Simply make a pot of tea as you usually would only double the amount of tea to account for the extra water added when you pour it over ice.

To know the right amount of tea you need for your teapot fill your teapot with water to within one inch of the rim then pour it into a large liquid measuring cup. If you only have a small measuring, just fill the cup several times. When instructions say to add one tea bag or one teaspoon of tea per cup, they mean a cup of tea, not a measuring cup. Most teacups are around six fluid ounces, not eight like the fluid measuring cup.

Basic black iced tea

Ingredients:

• 2 tea bags or 2 rounded teaspoons of loose black tea per every six fluid ounces of water
• Fresh hot boiling water
• Ice made from fresh water
• Frozen fruit for the glasses

Directions:

Allow the water to just come to a boil. If you are using a pan you will see it boiling, but if you’re using a teakettle you should see a strong and steady stream of steam coming from the pour spot. Remove the water from heat the moment it boils. Letting it boil takes the oxygen out of the water and makes it and your tea taste flat.

Pour the boiling water over the tea. Allow to steep the amount of time stated on the box the tea came in. If it doesn’t tell you how long, the time is generally three minutes for tea bags and five minutes for loose tea. Fill a 2-quart pitcher half way with ice as it steeps.

As soon as the tea has steeped its recommended length of time, pour the tea over the ice in the pitcher. If you have used loose leaf tea, use a tea strainer to strain out the leaves. Refrigerate at once.

To serve, add a few pieces of frozen fruit to a tall glass and pour the tea over it. This will keep the tea cold without further diluting it. Serve with long straws and iced tea spoons. Sweeten with simple syrup or sugar-free sweetener if desired. Please drink the tea with the straw so you don’t accidentally choke on the fruit. When the iced tea has been drunk, you can eat the fruit with the iced tea spoon.

To make an attractive citrus garnish if lemon, lime, or orange, make nice, uniform slices with mandoline. Use a sharp knife to cut a slice the radius of the slices. Chill until time to serve. Place one on the edge of each glass of iced tea after it’s poured