Really Cool Iced Tea

For over one hundred years, iced tea has been enjoyed by Americans. 

Some recipes date back to 1879, using green tea, which was prefered at the time. In an 1884 cookbook, Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cookbook: What to do & What not to do in Cooking, there is a recipe for iced black tea. In most countries, people prefer their tea hot. While that's the way we drink most of our tea, as well, seasonally we like our tea with 'lots of ice'. Some teas do taste better hot, experiment and see which you like iced.

On a hot day at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair, an English gentleman was trying to encourage Americans to enjoy tea from India and Ceylon. Green tea from China was the most popular at the time. He found, there wasn't much interest in hot tea because of the hot summer weather. He decided to offer free tea that he ran through ice cold pipes. It was a hit. This event is noted in the book by Pamela J. Vaccaro, Beyond the Ice Cream Cone-The Whole Scoop on Food at the 1904 Worlds Fair.

Orange Pekoe (black tea) is generally accepted as the American favorite for iced tea and iced tea recipes are abundant. Use one quart of boiling water poured over 5 tea bags, preferably in a glass pitcher or container, and leave it to steep for at least an hour. Remove the bags and add two more cups of cold water. Use a simple syrup or just plain sugar and sweeten to your taste. You can vary the amount of water and number of bags according to your educated taste and the amount of tea you wish to make.

In the South, they put the sugar (3/4 to 1 cup) in a small amount water while it boils, then add 8-10 tea bags and let it steep at least an hour to make a tea syrup. This is poured into a gallon of water and cooled.

To make Sun Tea.....Fill a glass container with the amount of water for the servings you need.  Add the tea, either loose tea or tea bags. Set the container in a window or anyplace with plenty of direct sunlight.  Shake or stir the tea occasionally. Let the tea steep in the warmth of the sun. Depending on how strong you want the tea, it may take several hours.  Be sure to move the container as the sun shifts. When it is as strong as you wish, add sugar or simple syrup, pour and enjoy.  Makes great iced tea.

Put some tea in your ice cube trays to use in the iced tea. This way you won't dilute the tea.

Lemon is great with iced tea. A thin slice on the edge of the glass is for decoration. Cut the lemon in wedges and serve with each glass for squeezing into the tea.

If the tea becomes cloudy, pour a little boiling water into it and it will clear up.

In your tea ice cubes, add some mint leaves, or thin lemon pieces.

Instead of adding 2 cups of water, substitute a frozen fruit juice concentrate or frozen fresh fruit. Orange, cranberry, raspberry, peach whatever tempts you.

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