primitives discuss iced tea

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/115730460

Oh my.

Just a reminder to the cooking and baking primitives that although franksolich has been busy--on both the internet, looking for the walrus-faced primitive, and in real life, welcoming hippywife Mrs. Alfred Packer here (they brought Granny from Arkansas, and dear old sweet Lu and Pennsylvania Dutch-faced Bill, and Judy from Oregon, some old drunkard from New Mexico, a hiking vegetarian from North Carolina, and some others)--I've still been keeping my eyes on the seditious, hate-filled, racist, activities in their forum.

Ohio Joe (12,672 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 11:43 AM

Iced Tea

So... I've been on this iced tea kick lately because it's both cheap and good

I had some at a friends a while back and have been using the same "recipe" (four Red Rose teabags in a 2 quart container that gets stirred a few times over a 16-24 hour period before drinking). I was surprised at how good it is because I always thought you had to make it as hot tea before cooling it.
 
I've thought it would be nice to add some honey but I get a bit unsure here... Would the honey mix right if it is not put into boiling/hot water?
 
Also... Any other types of tea (preferably cheap) to try, and/or methods of making, ingredients... What do you do with iced tea?

hlthe2b (48,393 posts)   Mon Aug 26, 2013, 11:53 AM

1. My favorite is Mango Tango using leaves from the Teaspot.com

I never sweeten tea, but would definitely think you'd need to do so while hot..

I use leaf tea generally and am always careful to use the right temperature for black (boiling) green (generally about 175 degrees) or white (165) then I pour it through a teavana type tea strainer (http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Teavana/30098%20000%20032_d?$snrl$) into the intended container with jut enough ice or iced water to end-dilute. Then I don't have to worry so much about breaking/cracking the container if glass or plastic.
 
theteaspot.com is a Boulder company and I recommend them highly. They have some excellent varieties for iced tea, but mango tango (black tea with mango/flowers) is still my favorite, though I drink a lot of green jasmine and green mint too. I should add that the green teas can be re-steeped multiple times so that can make them quite economical (and healthy).

Ohio Joe (12,672 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:15 PM

6. ahhh... Fruit. I should have thought of that

When you say 'mango/flowers', are you saying both are added? Do the flowers of fruits give that type of fruits flavor when used in a tea?
 
That tea is sold all around me here in Denver, I will try some of their teas. Thanks!

northoftheborder (3,616 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 11:56 AM

2. I'm curious....

.....is there really a difference in taste by brewing at room temperature a long time vs. with hot water??? I need to do an experiment, I guess. I love tea, all kinds and flavors, hot or iced.

hlthe2b (48,393 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:28 PM

10. temperature makes a big difference (e.g. green boiled is bitter but wonderful at 175 degrees)

If it is plain old Lipton bags, it doesn't make a lot of difference, however.

eissa (2,579 posts)   Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:00 PM

3. Here's how I do mine

Loose leaf Persian tea I get from my local middle eastern store. Bring to a boil and let sit for a few hours so the flavors are really intense. Once cooled, I pour into a ice-filled dispenser with some fresh mint and about 1/2 cup of sugar. It's lovely!

livetohike (14,932 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:13 PM

4. Now I am showing my hippie roots, but the best iced tea is "sun tea"

I just use a mason jar full of cold water and eight tea bags and let it sit in the sun for a few hours(with the lid on of course). I will add some fresh water if it is too strong. I love to use Red Zinger (Celestial Seasonings brand) for this.

GoCubsGo (13,401 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:38 PM

11. I use a huge pickle jar.

It's the gallon-size jar of the sort you find in places like Costco. Got it from a friend who saved it and several others from the dumpster after a United Way fundraising shindig at her work. If you have a deli or restaurant nearby, they may have some that they'll give away.
 
You can also find "sun tea" jars in second-hand shops for real cheap. They even have a spigot at the bottom. I always see at least one every time I go to Goodwill or other resale shops.

cbayer (123,274 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:13 PM

5. The problem with sun-tea or tea that seeps in cool water is that

it seems to go bad so quickly. That and the inability to dissolve sugar or honey in it caused me to stop using that method a few years ago.
 
We are on an Arnold Palmer kick.

I make Country Time Lemonade and put tea leftover in the teapot in it.

^^^a pal of the brain-damaged primitive; one wonders if she knows what's up with him, his absence.

Ohio Joe (12,672 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:19 PM

7. I'm not too worried about it going bad...

I only make two quarts at a time and we finish that off pretty quickly... Making iced tea is becoming one of my daily chores

Honey won't dissolve when I do it cold though... I was thinking that would be a problem, good to know

GoCubsGo (13,401 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:55 PM

12. Lipton makes a "cold brew" tea.

I have never tried it. I usually make sun tea in the summer, and I use the "family-size bags" and a gallon-size jar. Lipton, Tetley and Luzianne all make the family-sized bags. Luzianne is my favorite. The rest of the year, I just brew it a glass at a time. I brew it concentrated, and pour it over a lot of ice.
 
I have never tried sweetening my iced tea with honey. I usually use things like Crystal Light lemonade or Mio peach-mango. If you find that you can't get honey to dissolve, try heating it up in the microwave first. Warming honey dissolves it and makes it thinner--at least until it cools back down. When it's dissolved like that, it should blend much easier with cold tea.

Scruffy Rumbler (383 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 02:13 PM

13. I use to make a lot of ice tea...

To add honey, i would dissolve about a 1/4 of honey in hot water then add that to the sun tea.
 
Last summer, we made mint tea from cuttings from our yard. We would cut a few stalks, pour boiling water over it {a couple of cups}, then top it of with cold water. We went away one weekend, leaving the sprigs of mint in the glass jar, in the refrigerator and when we came back, it had started rooting.... we replanted it!

bif (15,546 posts)    Mon Aug 26, 2013, 05:52 PM

14. Red Rose makes the best iced tea.

I make with boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes (7 tea bags). Then remove the bags and add cold water.

Fortinbras Armstrong (1,055 posts)    Tue Aug 27, 2013, 10:17 AM

15. I have a five liter clear plastic container

That I fill with water, add two Republic of Tea Ginger-Peach teabags, and let it sit out in the sun for a few hours. I then remove the teabags and put it into the fridge to get cold. The Ginger-Peach makes lousy hot tea (IMHO), but great iced tea.

[Ballygrl]

Red Rose is the only tea we use in our house.

[franksolich]

Red Rose is the only tea we use in our house.

Snob.

I use the jar of granulated Lipton's Iced Tea Mix.

[GOBUCKS]

Snob.

I use the jar of granulated Lipton's Iced Tea Mix.

You're both snobs.
I use Publix store brand.

[debk]

Snob.

I use the jar of granulated Lipton's Iced Tea Mix.

That stuff is only good for making Spice Tea Mix.

I have never heard of Red Rose. Is it in the grocery?

I rarely make ice tea anymore. I had to pretty much stop drinking it, and no one else in the house drinks tea but me. When I do make ITV, I use Constant Comment, decaf.

[vesta111]

That stuff is only good for making Spice Tea Mix.

I have never heard of Red Rose. Is it in the grocery?

I rarely make ice tea anymore. I had to pretty much stop drinking it, and no one else in the house drinks tea but me. When I do make ITV, I use Constant Comment, decaf.

As I am the only tea drinker in the family I make it by the glass.  First thing I do in the morning is to put the kettle on to boil.   A very thick ice tea glass I dump a teaspoon of sugar in the bottom pour in almost Boiling water, one cup and stir up to dissolve the sugar. I add 2 bags of Red Rose and allow it to steep for 30 minutes while I get dressed, make bed do hair etc.

I then remove the bags and fill the glass to the top with ice cubes.   Takes about 3 minutes to get cold and the melting ice dilutes the tea.   After 1/2 of the mixture has been consumed I add more ice. 

I now wonder if I can make ice coffee the same way using instant coffee that I could put half/half in before the ice.

[JohnnyReb]

DUmmies and their special tea, special coffee, special everything.....but then, all DUmmies are special.

[Mr Mannn]

My tea is EXPENSIVE.
I brew 32 oz at a time. 3 bags of Lipton tea, and 4 bags of Peppermint tea. Steep for 15 minutes, pour unsweetened over a cup full of ice. The strength is diluted with melting ice, and the rest of the ice makes it cold right away.
--The peppermint is just strong enough to make it a smooth refreshing drink. Love it.

It's expensive, but I pay for it out of my own pocket...I'm not trying to make an EBT card stretch.

[JohnnyReb]

My tea is EXPENSIVE.
I brew 32 oz at a time. 3 bags of Lipton tea, and 4 bags of Peppermint tea. Steep for 15 minutes, pour unsweetened over a cup full of ice. The strength is diluted with melting ice, and the rest of the ice makes it cold right away.
--The peppermint is just strong enough to make it a smooth refreshing drink. Love it.

It's expensive, but I pay for it out of my own pocket...I'm not trying to make an EBT card stretch.

The DUmmies don't try to stretch their EBT cards......just the lies they tell to get them.

[Ballygrl]

Snob.

I use the jar of granulated Lipton's Iced Tea Mix.

LOL, we're actually very snobby when it comes to tea, my Grandparents came from Canada and they only drank Red Rose, when they came to the US that's all they would drink, and generations later that's all our family drinks even though it's expensive as heck.

ETA: We only drink Red Rose as hot tea, when we make iced tea we use either Lipton or the store brand.

[Dori]

I don't like sugar in coffee or tea or even iced tea.  I also don't like soda.  Something about the sugar makes me even more thirsty.

I think Iced tea is the best thirst quencher there is.

[diesel driver]

What do I do with Iced Tea?

Drink it!  DUH!   

Put about 8 Lipton tea bags in a gallon jar, fill with water, cap it, and let it sit in the sun all day.
 
Add Splenda and ice to taste.

[debk]

What do I do with Iced Tea?

Drink it!  DUH!   

Put about 8 Lipton tea bags in a gallon jar, fill with water, cap it, and let it sit in the sun all day.
 
Add Splenda and ice to taste.

Have you ever added any of the Lipton peach, orange  or lemon to the regular bags? They make a nice addition. The apple cinnamon is better hot than cold, IMHO.

[diesel driver]

Have you ever added any of the Lipton peach, orange  or lemon to the regular bags? They make a nice addition. The apple cinnamon is better hot than cold, IMHO.

Not yet, but I love peach ice tea.  Will definitely try that and the orange.

Kinda burned out on lemon, it was all Dad would drink.

[debk]

Not yet, but I love peach ice tea.  Will definitely try that and the orange.

Kinda burned out on lemon, it was all Dad would drink.

I drink the lemon hot with honey & extra lemon juice when I feel like I'm getting a cold or allergies going into overload. Knock on wood, it seems to keep me from getting bronchitis. Don't know how or why, just makes me happy it works!

If you do the orange, add a cinnamon stick ($1 a cluster at Dollar Tree) and a few whole cloves. Also very good hot.