Making good unsweetened iced tea?

[Badfish740]

I like unsweetened iced tea (sorry to you southern hearth.com'ers :lol so my wife starting buying it at the store. I figured that was silly because all it is is water and tea bags, so I had her buy a bulk box of store brand tea bags. I made a gallon batch last night using filtered tap water from the Brita pitcher and 20 tea bags (it said for stronger tea use 5 bags per quart), and brought the water to a boil. I put the tea bags into the rolling boiling water and kept them in there for five minutes, then turned the heat off and continued to steep for about three minutes. It came out kind of bitter-should I steep less? Use less teabags, etc...?

 

[cygnus]

I think you have too many bags. 20 for a gallon seems like a lot...maybe 15 is better. Also, I never steep in boiling water. I boil it, let it sit a minute, add the bags and sometimes don't take them out. Just put the whole thing in a pitcher in the fridge. You can also make 'sun tea' in a glass container placed in the sun with the bags. Good tea in an hour or two. Throw in a herbal lemon tea or mint tea bag too. Very good.

 

[semipro]

You can also make 'sun tea' in a glass container placed in the sun with the bags. Good tea in an hour or two. Throw in a herbal lemon tea or mint tea bag too. Very good.

+1 Its amazing how well this works.

I think the high heat method chemically modifies the tea and give you the bitterness.

 

[Badfish740]

Ha...it never occurred to me to do sun tea-I have direct southern exposure on the deck off of the kitchen too-perfect! Now I just need to find a big glass jar. We get pretzels those big clear plastic "barrels" that probably hold more than a gallon-would those be suitable?

 

[MasterMech]

Boiling the water while steeping is what makes the tea bitter.

+1 on letting the water sit after boiling and making sun tea!

 

[jeromehdmc]

For my sun tea we use 6 regular teabags in a glass jar, the jar is a little less than a gallon. Just set in the sun and wait. Add more bags if you like it stronger, for me 5 bags per quart is too strong. The plastic barrel should work fine.

 

[laynes69]

A pinch of baking soda will remove all bitterness. I boil a tea pot with 4 or 5 cups of water. Once boiling, I turn off the heat and add a pinch of baking soda. From there add 8 or 9 tea bags and steep for 25 minutes. When time is up, remove bags and pour in a gallon milk jug then fill the rest with cold water. Of course I have to have sugar in mine, but you don't have to add it. I have spoke with others at work that swear with the baking soda trick. I've never had bitter tea since. I drink a gallon every 3 to 4 days.

 

[fbelec]

yep definitely don't boil the bags. i too make a no sugar tea when i'm in the mood. i use tetley tea bags boil water shut it off put in 10 bags into a quart of water after 6 to 9 minutes pull bags don't squeeze the bags, it can add a little not a lot of bitterness. pour in 1 quart of ice water then hit the fridge. for the rest of cooling. and with all those bags it's not strong. i'm thinking of adding 2 more bags to the mix. sometimes a tablespoon and a half of lemon juice. and sometimes when i want it sweet i add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey. way better than sugar.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

Real southerners drink their tea without any sugar. The only rule is "to taste". Just some people HAVE no taste and therefore supersaturate it with sugar to the point that's basically very astringent syrup. =P

When I make a pitcher of iced tea, first, I use Lipton's instead of storebrand (unless your store brand is HEB. Then it's okay.) and about three bags to every quart of water. Let it steep until the water is cool enough to drink, then add ice water so its half and half. Adjust strength from there with more teabags or longer steeping before you add the ice water.

And yes, it doesn't get more southern than sun tea!

~Rose

 

[wahoowad]

We drink a LOT of tea here.

1) bring a quart of water to a boil, remove from heat.
2) drop in 2 Luzianne large (family size) tea bags, dunk em around a couple times to get them saturated;
3) let them steep a minute or two, no longer;
4) add a 1/2 to 1 cup sugar if you like it sweet
5) pour into your tea jar and top with water

 

[joefrompa]

I recommend trying liptons "Cold Brew Ice Tea" bags. They are excellent for easy and quick unsweetened ice tea.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I recommend trying liptons "Cold Brew Ice Tea" bags. They are excellent for easy and quick unsweetened ice tea.

Blasphemy! Though I guess if you're a Yankee you're used to it...

~Rose

 

[joefrompa]

Have you tried it you southern dog?

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

Yes. You just can't get it strong enough for my liking. Besides, that's not the point, it's the principle of the thing. =P

~Rose

 

[joefrompa]

Hhehe, that's fair. What's wrong with lipton? They make a basic and consistently decent tea

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

Oh, Lipton's fine, I just don't like the taste of the cold-brew stuff.

~Rose

 

[jeffoc]

I go through a gallon every other day, sometimes everyday. So we think we have found the best way to make it for us.
We use the Luzianne family size bags, 6 per gallon, bring the water to a boil and then turn off the heat. Wait a couple of seconds and then put in the bags and let them steep for 10 minutes. Works everytime.

If you want to treat yourself order some of the ice teas at uptontea.com. They have some really good ones.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I loooove Tazo bottled teas. The Brambleberry's my favorite.

~Rose

 

[mayhem]

I honestly cannot stand unsweetened iced tea. Only the mix will do on a hot day.

Everyone around here loads up a glass jug with a bunch of bags and leaves it on the windowsill to cook in the sun. Not sure of the raio of bags per gallon, but it should be easy enough to find Sun Tea on Google.

 

[egclassic]

I used to boil the water and throw in the tea bags, but now I fill the coffee maker with water, add two large tea bags(intead of coffee) and press start. I will usually drink the whole thing by the time I go to bed.
Also, a few years ago I heard that sun tea was getting people sick because the water was not hot enough to kill the bacteria that is sometimes in the tea leaves? I don't know, but usually when I want iced tea, I can't wait that long for it anyway!

 

[Badfish740]

I got it-about a gallon and a half of water, brought to a boil, turn heat off, add 15 teabags, steep for 10 minutes. Perfect full flavor tea and no bitterness.