Iced tea is an absolute must in the summers down here, but bitter or weak tea is just unpardonable.
You will need:
two-quart saucepan
water (use filtered if your native tap water tastes murky)
plain tea bags* (4 regular or 1 family-sized per quart of tea. You'll use either 8/2 or 16/4. I'll explain in a minute)
1 or 2 Earl Grey** tea bags (regular-sized)
* You don't need fancy tea. I use grocery-store brand decaffeinated tea for both the plain and the Earl Grey.
** I know a lot of people don't like the bergamot in Earl Grey. Just give this a try. It's very different cold and as an accent flavor, not the predominant one. The faint bergamot crispness keeps tea tasting especially cool and fresh and alleviates bitterness if tea is brewed strong to be served over ice. It also makes decaffeinated tea more satisfying.
Two-quart pitcher
8 regular/2 family-sized tea bags
1 Earl Grey tea bag
Four quarts (two two-quart pitchers or a gallon jug)
16 regular/4 family-sized tea bags
1 or 2 Earl Grey tea bags, as desired
Fill saucepan with water. Heat to a simmer, then add the tea bags (I wrap the strings around the pot handle so they don't fall in and get paper pulp in the tea), cover the pot, and turn off the stove. Do not--I repeat, do not--boil the tea bags. Boiling tea and coffee leaches out extra acid and makes them taste harsh.
Let tea steep. I usually start this in the evening after work and leave it overnight. When it's as dark as you want it, pour it into the pitcher, add sugar and lemon to taste and chill. I usually add 1/3-1/2 cup sugar and a few "glugs" of lemon juice per two-quart pitcher. Put the sugar in ahead, though, if you want it sweet because sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold tea. Artificial sweeteners do, though, so if your household uses them you can leave the tea plain and let drinkers sweeten to taste.
For four quarts [one gallon] of tea, follow the same directions, except once the tea is done steeping, pour HALF of it into each of two pitchers and top them off with water. Remember, the tea is double-strength.
Also remember that if you normally drink tea with a lot of ice, you want to leave it a little strong so it doesn't completely dilute in the glass. No point in going to all this trouble for brownish water.
You will need:
two-quart saucepan
water (use filtered if your native tap water tastes murky)
plain tea bags* (4 regular or 1 family-sized per quart of tea. You'll use either 8/2 or 16/4. I'll explain in a minute)
1 or 2 Earl Grey** tea bags (regular-sized)
* You don't need fancy tea. I use grocery-store brand decaffeinated tea for both the plain and the Earl Grey.
** I know a lot of people don't like the bergamot in Earl Grey. Just give this a try. It's very different cold and as an accent flavor, not the predominant one. The faint bergamot crispness keeps tea tasting especially cool and fresh and alleviates bitterness if tea is brewed strong to be served over ice. It also makes decaffeinated tea more satisfying.
Two-quart pitcher
8 regular/2 family-sized tea bags
1 Earl Grey tea bag
Four quarts (two two-quart pitchers or a gallon jug)
16 regular/4 family-sized tea bags
1 or 2 Earl Grey tea bags, as desired
Fill saucepan with water. Heat to a simmer, then add the tea bags (I wrap the strings around the pot handle so they don't fall in and get paper pulp in the tea), cover the pot, and turn off the stove. Do not--I repeat, do not--boil the tea bags. Boiling tea and coffee leaches out extra acid and makes them taste harsh.
Let tea steep. I usually start this in the evening after work and leave it overnight. When it's as dark as you want it, pour it into the pitcher, add sugar and lemon to taste and chill. I usually add 1/3-1/2 cup sugar and a few "glugs" of lemon juice per two-quart pitcher. Put the sugar in ahead, though, if you want it sweet because sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold tea. Artificial sweeteners do, though, so if your household uses them you can leave the tea plain and let drinkers sweeten to taste.
For four quarts [one gallon] of tea, follow the same directions, except once the tea is done steeping, pour HALF of it into each of two pitchers and top them off with water. Remember, the tea is double-strength.
Also remember that if you normally drink tea with a lot of ice, you want to leave it a little strong so it doesn't completely dilute in the glass. No point in going to all this trouble for brownish water.
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