Making the perfect iced tea
Iced tea with plenty of ice cubes is the ultimate refreshment on a hot day. Making it yourself is fun and incredibly delicious too. Bet your homemade iced tea tastes better than the supermarket version?
We think that carton from the supermarket is delicious too, but sometimes you feel like something different, and the great thing is: you can completely tailor your iced tea to your own taste. In the mood for a strong and somewhat more bitter tea? Use black tea and add less sugar. Ready for something lighter and fresher? Go for green or white tea. Feeling creative? Mix it up with fruit tea, rooibos, mint or ginger. The possibilities are endless.
Making your iced tea with fresh fruit and spices? There are plenty of options there too. Add an extra deep and sweet flavour with fruit. Ice tea peach? Make a version with peach and mango. Extra fresh and summery iced tea? Go for a citrus fruit. Lemon and lime are always a great choice, but think out of the box for once and add mandarin, orange or grapefruit. Our favourite? This green tea with ginger and pineapple.
Hot brew
Right, the brewing process itself. No worries, piece of cake. Bring water to the boil and let the tea and sugar steep in it. You need five grams of tea per litre of water, which is equivalent to about two tea bags. Note: not every tea steeps optimally at the same temperature. Add a generous spoonful of sugar and dissolve it. Taste to see whether it is sweet enough. If not, add a little more sugar. Repeat this until your tea has the ultimate flavour. Add the sugar while the water is still warm so it can dissolve. Put the brew in the fridge for two hours. Add any extra ingredients and serve with ice cubes.
Cold brew
Have a little more patience and feel like a smoother flavour? Then use cold water and add your favourite tea. Leave it to steep overnight. The cold ensures that the tea flavour infuses the water very subtly. Add the other ingredients later – just before serving it. This method takes a little longer, but you get something in return.
Fast brew
In urgent need of refreshment? Fill a quarter of a pitcher with boiled water. Let your favourite tea steep (it can be very strong) and add sugar. Remove the tea bags and top up the pitcher with cold water, ice cubes and fresh fruit. Voilà!
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