How do Americans make ice tea????? I heard its just cold plain tea (yuck)?

Answer 1

I am a Canadian. Here is my recipe for iced tea.

I brew a pot of really strong tea - really cold water boiled to a rolling boil. Then I use twice the number of teabags needed for the pot - loose tea is better but it must be contained in a tea ball or strained after brewing to get rid of the leaves. I let it cool down and then transfer it to a pitcher and place the cooled tea in the fridge.

I just like my iced tea with lemon and ice. The strong tea doesn't weaken when ice is added. My children add lemon and sugar to their tea.

Answer 2

I don't know how they make it elsewhere, but in the South you start with cold water and the right amount of tea bags. The number of tea bags depends upon how strong you like your tea. You put the tea bags in the cold water and bring it to a simmer. As soon as it starts to simmer, you take it off the heat and let it steep for about 5-10 minutes. Again, this depends upon how strong you like your tea. Then you put the brew into a pitcher, add ice to cool it off quickly. This helps the taste of the tea, keeps it from turning bitter. After the ice has melted, cooling down the brew somewhat, add water to taste (strength of tea, again). Put ice in glasses, pour the tea, and enjoy. I realize there are many ways to strengthen or dilute the taste of the tea. Each method can alter the taste of the tea in a different way. If you use too many tea bags, don't think you can just add more water. It won't work. That original brew is too strong, and probably too bitter, to make good iced tea. And so with each step that changes the strength of the tea. As you experiment with making your own tea and begin to like it, you will find your own answers. Oh! And you can sweeten the tea with sugar while the brew is hot. That way the sugar will dissolve well. Or you can sweeten it with one of the artificial sugars. Mmmm! Good!

Answer 3

I always add lemon and sugar, plenty of both. By the way, the best iced tea I ever tasted was made from scratch by a really nice lady from Nicaragua that boiled the tea bags with whole pepper and a bunch of other spices, she then strained it, added a lot of lemon juice and sugar. The lemon in latin america is smaller, greener and the taste is not sweet, but rather tangy and sour, totally unlike the American "lemon". It gave the tea an added zest, of course you had to add water and lots of ice. I just bet any beverage company would love the recipe.

Answer 4

In the south we have Sweet Tea. Ice tea is just brewed tea over ice. Personally, I gotta have my sweet tea. Its a staple in any south eastern American's Diet.

Here is the recipe for the PERFECT Sweet Tea:

Boil 1 1/2-2 qts of water (or cheat using a Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Pot)
Steep 3 qt size tea bags (or how ever many tea bags to equal 3 qts if they are the small individual size). Pour into a pitcher
In another pot, bring 1 1/2-2 qts of water to a boil, remove from heat. Dissolve 1 cup of sugar. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, add to the pitcher of brewed tea. Stir.
Place in refridgerator and allow to fully chill.
Add lemon to taste if you prefer that with your tea.

Its basic chemistry. Its a solution...and this is the method that works best for taste as far as Im concerned. Its just 1cup of sugar to 3 or 4 qts of tea (depending on how sugary you like it, or if you are using the Mr. Coffee Tea pot). The main thing is make sure the sugar is fully dissolved before you dilute and place in the refridgerator. Sugar does not dissolve in cold water. Allow it to fully chill to allow the taste of the tea and sugar to come together. Luzianne is the best tea for sweet tea.

Iced Tea is not sweetend, and its bitter. Gotta sweeten it up a bit, ok a lot... Any state outside of the south has no clue about sweet tea. I lived in Las Vegas for a year and no one knew what it was, I only survived because I had to make my own. Canned or bottled sweet teas like Nestea are crap!!! Brewed tea that is sweetned by hand is the best.

I also like Arizona Green Tea with Ginsing and Honey is the best bottled tea Ive tasted.

When you're sick...drink hot tea with lemon and honey and a splash or shot of Whiskey, or whats called a Hot Totty. That will help with sore throats and any cold or flu. (Its no different than the alcohol you will find in a cough syrup, and it tastes better)

Answer 5

If you are in a country that only drinks hot tea, yes, you'd probably find it "yucky."

Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil (1 liter). When near or at boiling, toss in 4 family-sized tea bags (or 8 regular ones). Turn off heat, let sit and steep about 7-10 minutes, depending upon how strong you like it. Then remove tea bags (do not squeeze!) and pour over ice ina gallon pitcher. Add sugar, if desired, about 1½ cups (365 ml) of sugar to hot concentrate, THEN add to ice. Add enough more water to make a gallon (4 liters). Enjoy!

Answer 6

First, we gather an urn of pure glacier water. Next, we boil said water over a fire built upon wood selected from old-growth forests. Next, we brew the tea in a hand-glazed antique tea pot. We always use loose tea -- no tea bags allowed. After the tea has steeped we decant the brew into a crystal pitcher (filtering through the hands of vessel virgins) and place the pitcher in an ice cave. When the tea has reached 35-degrees (Farenheit), the pitcher is brought home and the tea is poured over ice made from demineralized water drawn from artesian springs. Mmmm.

Answer 7

Lol! You must be from the UK? My fiance is from there, and he HATES the idea of Iced Tea. lol. First, yes it is ice cold tea. Second... try it first... you might like it! Try a flavoured tea... then add some sugar, and lemon juice if you are so inclined. Plain tea is always good too.

Answer 8

Sometimes it's plain tea, but with the iced tea mostly there is sugar added and lemon.

Answer 9

Most people sweeten Ice Tea with sugar or their fave sugar substitute. Unsweetened Ice Tea is gross, and I'm 100% American, I will never drink it unsweetened if i have a choice.

*****Note: Tea should be sweeten before chilled, the sugar will not dissolve properly if you try to sweeten it chilled. It will take forever to sweeten tea, because sugar dissolves slower at lower temps.*****

Answer 10

I put 8 to 10 tea bags in a gallon jar, fill with hot water and place in the refrigerator.