The Impatient Method
Infuse 2 teaspoons of tea per 8 ounces of water. After infusing, pour over a glass full of ice and enjoy! Serves one.
The Patient Method
Infuse 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water. Chill and serve. Serves 1.
Cold (In)Fusion
Add approximately 1 ounce of tea leaves inside a size 4 T-sac (tea filter paper available at tea stores). Fill a 1-gallon pitcher with cold water. Place T-sac in pitcher and let it sit in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
The Party Method
Having company? Fill a size 4 T-sac with 1 ounce of tea leaves and place in a 1-gallon pitcher. Infuse tea using ½ gallon of hot water. After tea is done infusing, pour tea over a 1-gallon pitcher of ice.
Source: The Tea Smith
Reader Recipes
» Jana Kruger of Arlington, Neb., said both she and her husband, Steve, grew up drinking sweet tea. His mother was originally from South Carolina, and her relatives were from Missouri. Here’s her method:
Southern Sweet Tea
Fill an 8-cup glass measuring cup with water, and add two family-size tea bags. Microwave on high for 4 minutes and 55 seconds. (It’s important to steep the tea, not “cook” it.) Let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a one-gallon pitcher full of ice.
Remove the tea bags, squeezing them flat.
Add sugar to the HOT tea. I recommend ¾ cup of granulated sugar. Stir until it dissolves.
Now, pour the liquid over the ice in the pitcher. This is where the clarity comes from. Stir, and add enough water to fill the pitcher.
Add a slice of lemon, and you’re ready for a treat that’s sure to quench your thirst on a hot summer day. Take it out to the patio and put your feet up, and it’s even better!
» Rita Otis said she loves to brew a cup of hot tea (her favorite is Bengal Spice by Celestial Seasonings), then pour the hot tea over ice in a tall glass. “I drink it immediately while the hot and cold are still distinct. The experience is a dynamic physical sensation of hot tea and cold ice — yin and yang elements of nature.
» Virginia Suchy of Omaha likes the taste of lemon with her tea. She makes a pitcher of tea, and a pitcher of lemonade, then mixes them half and half. “It’s really delicious,” she said.
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