I'm an iced coffee fiend. Last summer, The New York Times wrote about making cold-brewed iced coffee, so I gave it a whirl. I tried it and I wasn't impressed. I realized what was wrong was the idea of creating a concentrate, so I tried again without diluting the precious brew. I loved it. It cut out the bitterness and made for a nice smooth icy beverage.
So when a friend of mine recently raved about making a fridge-brewed iced tea, I decided that I had to try it. It too creates a much smoother tea than making it the old-fashioned way, plus you can say goodbye to the stove – a nice bonus during the hot summer. I've tried this method with plain old orange pekoe tea and it's delicious with a bit of fresh garden mint thrown on top or a squeeze of lemon. I don't add sugar or any kind of sweetener because I find it quite refreshing without...and I don't miss the extra calories, either. Try this fridge-brewed method with rooiboos, hibiscus or your favorite herbal or black tea and stay cool this summer.
Want to stay extra cool? Use leftover tea (or coffee if making iced coffee) in your ice cube tray. Your drink stays icy cold without getting diluted and weak. You could also freeze a sprig or two of fresh herbs in your ice cube tray to give your summer drinks an herbal kick.
Fridge-Brewed Iced Tea
6 tea bags, your choice
6 cups cold water
fresh mint, slices of lemon, sweetener (optional)
Drop tea bags into a glass pitcher and pour cold water over top. Let it sit for 12 hours (or longer) in the fridge. Remove tea bags. Serve in glasses filled with ice. Add fresh mint, lemon or stir in some simple syrup or agave syrup, if desired.
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