once it starts to warm up outside, iced tea becomes a standard in my fridge. being someone who doesn’t like my drinks very sweet, I prefer this to any canned/bottled/store-made brew I’ve tasted. it’s super simple and refreshing… you know, as you lay on the cold kitchen floor after walking home in the blistering heat with bags of groceries and cats tripping you up upon arrival… right?
for about 3L you need:
1 lemon and 1 lime (or two lemons)
3/4 C brown sugar (HAS to be brown, brown or nothing)
2-3 orange pekoe tea bags (2 of the bold stuff, 3 of the regular strength)
3-ish L water
. get your kettle on
. in a big metal or glass bowl, zest the citrus with a microplane so it’s fine, not long and stringy
. then cut the fruit in half and squeeze all the juice into the bowl. don’t worry about the pulp or seeds because you’re going to strain it later
. add the tea bags and sugar
.pour the boiled water over the mix and stir
. let this steep and hang out until it’s a bit warmer than room temperature
.get a pitcher and a fine strainer or if you’re feeling anal, a coffee filter, and strain the tea into your vessel. refrigerate until cold
feel free to experiment with different citrus blends, like grapefruit or mandarin, or adding peach or pear juice. also, if you like your tea sweet, you may want to use a full cup of sugar. annnnd, if your favourite jug doesn’t fit 3L, you can always fill it and put the remainder in an ice cube tray so you can keep your iced tea extra cold without watering it down.
thefirdge 