how do I make unsweetened Ice tea without it being bitter?

Answer 1

Two ways, Sun tea or Overnight tea.

Sun tea: take the measured amount of water and tea bags or leaves, place in a clear glass jar and set in the sun for one hour.

Overnight tea: Same process but let set in refrigerator overnight.

Strain and keep refrigerated.

Both processes extract the flavoring agents but not the tannins that cause the bitterness.

Answer 2

You can try to use less tea bags. I only like "sun" tea. Sun tea is where you put the water and the tea bags into a glass jar and set it in the sun to brew. I have found that by brewing it by the cup or by actually steeping it in a steeping spoon, I would always get it too tart... But, if the instructions would say to use 4 teas bags for a gallon, I would try using only two tea bags.

You might also try a different flavor of tea! This is the biggest way, I know of, of changing thanging the taste of the final taste of the tea, whether or not you add anything to it.

The tea most often sold, it seems is an "orange peoke". Most people drink this without even knowing there are several different flavors of tea!!! Check the side of the box. Try a different flavor.

If you can eat oranges, roll an orange on the counter back and forth a few times - this will make it very juicy - then slice a few slices off, lay them aside. Squeeze the remainder of the orange into the tea itself. Then, drop the oranges down into the glass of tea.

This makes such a nice suprise crisp gently tea.

There are also different types of syrups you can use, but make sure, if you are diabetic, you have read the labels! I love the rasberry syrup - be very gently with it also, a little goes a long way! My husband learned this the hard way!!

You could try a variety package that had several flavors in the package. This might be the best for the money... everything just seems be ge getting so high priced these days.

You could always try a non-sugar sustitute, but again, don't just try one flavor, try them all to find your favorite.

I personally like my light sun tea with the orange slices. The orange has natural sugar, so, that is something to keep in mind also. Many fruits can be sqeezed and/or added, and it makes a nice tea. I like to use the frozen rasberries and melons as the ice cubes in my sun tea! They give a slight fresh flavor to the tea!

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Try white tea. It's a mild tea that's a lot like green tea, only it's made with baby leaves--this gives it a mild, less-bitter flavor. Steeping your tea only until it's -just- flavored should help, too, because steeping any longer will layer on the flavor and create bitterness. Also, don't boil the water WITH the tea bags in it--boil the water, pour it in your mug, and then add one tea bag. Pre-soaking the tea bags is also a tip I've learned--boil them for a minute or so beforehand, then dump that mixture (or let someone drink it who doesn't mind the bitterness) and re-use the tea bags in fresh water. Sun tea is any easy way to reduce the bitterness significantly (in fact, there is usually none at all). Just put some cool water in a large glass jar, add your tea bags, and let it sit out in the sun for around 8 hours. It's a long time to wait, but if you make big enough jars, you should be able to prepare more right as one jar finishes. With any of the hot-tea methods above, you'll want to chill the tea once it's finished (just use the refridgerator--ice will dilute the tea with little cooling for big pitchers). This may take a bit of time, too, but like the sun tea you can prepare more right as some is finished, depending on how much you drink, so there's always some ready. These tips should all help to reduce the bitterness of your tea, so good luck! :]

Answer 4

I learned from the Southern way of preparing tea! Use a 1 gallon GLASS container (don't use plastic). 5 family size tea bags or 14 small bags for 1 Gallon of tea. Put the tea bags in the Gallon container. Make sure you tear off the paper strip.....From your tap...run HOT WATER to the top of the jar...put a lid on the Container and let the tea steap. Place the container in the refrigerator ....I do this in the morning before I go to work....When I come home at night a nice ICED cold glass of unsweetened tea is waiting. Throw the used tea bags away before you pour that 1st glass of tea!!

Answer 5

Probably has the most correct answer, but got buried with other answers. Hopefully this gets a read:

Tea bags, especially tea leafs without bags, are bitter because of the process of creating dry tea leafs that leaves bitter-tasting residues on the leafs. The best way to get rid of residues is to soak the tea bags/ leafs in boiling water for a brief amount of time(usually 1 min or so, or until the hot water changes into darker color), and then dump the bitter water and make the real tea that you want without the bitterness.

As for how much water, and precisely how long to do the pre-soak, it depends on experience and the particular brand of tea you use. Hope this helps.

XR
(the guy from the place where tea came from, who really knows how to make a good pot of tea, lol )

Answer 6

Bring filtered (keeps the tea from being cloudy) water to a boil on the stove top. Pour just boiled water over 3-5 tea bags (I like tetley, twining's orange pekoe or bigelow earl grey) in a warmed pitcher (fill with warm tap water while water is boiling). Brew for five minutes and dilute with some more filtered water. Tea becomes very bitter when it is refrigerated so try to only make as much as you will consume that day. I will keep a pitcher of tea on the counter overnight covered with a dish towel.

Answer 7

I don't like sweet tea myself. I really prefer suntea. Get yourself a glass jar - I use one that holds a gallon of water. Fill with water and the suggested number of teabags as per what ever brand you are using, and then I add at least 3 peppermint tea bags. Cover tightly, place in a nice sunny spot outside before you head off to work, and it will be good to go when you get home. Becasue you are not boiling the tea and it has more time to steep, it does not get bitter.

Answer 8

to start with...don't boil your water at all...just run some hot water from the tap into your jar...[1 quart is plenty]... drop a 1 gallon size tea bag in the water...let sit for 15-20 mins... don't wring out your tea bag...lots of the bitter oils are in there...fill the jug with cold fresh water...there you have it...i use a Britta water filter too it seems to help...you can also go to a green tea mix...1/2&1/2 is a nice blend and not so bitter...[1/2 green and 1/2 regular] the brand of tea has a lot to do with it too...you may as well go ahead and spend the extra few cents and get the goods...hope this helps...

life long tea lover...
p.s. also i sometimes take a 25% mix of raspberry or peach crystal light and mix it it is very nice and refreshing...no calories no carbs

Answer 9

What do you mean unsweetened, do you mean as in not using sugar? If that is the case, then if you are using the tea in the can, then you can add 8-10 of that cup that comes in the can to water and it will definitely be sweet, but if you are using tea bags then it is going to be bitter, sorry.

Answer 10

Get yourself a gallon sized tea jar.
Use only a sauce pan full of water and bring it to a boil.
Remove the water from the heat.
Now place just 4 teabags in the saucepan of water and let it steep for 15-20 minutes.
Fill your tea jar about half full of water.
Remove and squeeze out the tea bags into the brewed tea.
Pour the brewed tea into the tea jar and fill the tea jar with water.
Refrigerate to chill, and pour over ice, enjoy.