How to make a good cup of iced tea?

Question

i got real tea leaves, my friend who came back from india got them for me so how do you make iced tea with them i have no clue

Answer 1

buy a big can of Arizona's Rasberry or lemon iced tea. Bring it Home. Get a tall glass full of ice and pour it into the glass!

Answer 2

Iced tea has been called the "house wine of the South." It's a beverage as simple as a black tea bag and water, and as complex and exotic as Thai iced tea with evaporated milk and subtle spices.

Fred Thompson is something of a beverage expert. The author has written two books on our traditional American refreshments, Lemonade and Iced Tea. NPR's Susan Stamberg talked with Thompson at his vacation home in Myrtle Beach, S.C., about what makes the perfect glass of iced tea. His favorite, he tells Stamberg, is the classic Southern-style iced tea.

from Ice Tea:

There are as many ways to brew iced tea as there are Southern grandmothers. I grew up on iced tea made by bringing a small amount of water to a slow boil and then pouring it over the tea bags to form a concentrate. More water was added to finish the process. I guess I'm biased toward this method, but it definitely does make good tea. The baking soda might seem strange, but it softens the natural tannins that cause an acid or bitter taste.

Ingredients
6 regular-size tea bags ("You can use Orange Pekoe, Oolong, green tea, Lipton -- pick your favorite.")
1/8 teaspoon baking soda (a good pinch)
2 cups boiling water
6 cups cold water
Granulated sugar or other sweetener to taste (optional)

Directions
1. In a glass measuring cup or ceramic teapot large enough to accommodate the boiling water, place the tea bags and baking soda. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the tea bags, being careful not to squeeze them (squeezing the bags will add bitterness).

3. Pour the concentrate into a two-quart pitcher and add the cold water. Sweeten, if desired. (Some Southerners put in as much as 1 1/2 cups of sugar.)

4. Let cool, then chill and serve over ice.

Makes two quarts.

Hints
Tea will become cloudy if refrigerated while still warm. Add a little boiling water to clear up the cloudiness.

The tannins in tea also cause cloudiness when the tea is brewed in hard water. If you know you have minerals in your water, use bottled or filtered water.

Answer 3

This sounds complex, but this is the best way to enjoy the flavor of tea:

1. boil some water
2. take a porcelain tea pot and if you don't have one use some kind of big glass with a lid
3. put a little of the hot water into the tea pot, swoosh it and pour it out
4. for a regular tea-pot use about 2 full tablespoons of tea leaves; place the leaves into the tea pot and pour hot water to fill the tea pot, close the lid
5. cover the tea pot with a towel and let it stand for 5-7 minutes
6. take a cup and fill 1/5 of the cup with the liquid in the tea pot, then fill the rest of the cup with hot water and enjoy!

PS In India they actually boil the water with already added tea leaves and milk and sugar. They also add spices to it to make it into chai. Try nutmet.

Answer 4

You have to brew tea to make good iced tea. Boil a quart of water (of course if you use a pot make sure it's very clean), turn off the heat, add the tea leaves (more than for hot tea), cover and let brew for exactly five minutes. Then strain out the leaves (you can use one more time) and let sit until cool. Then make your iced tea (any shortcuts affects the taste of the tea). Good for you, whole leaves!

Answer 5

my favorite iced tea is made with 2 times the tea to the usual amount of water ....so use 2 level teaspoons of tea leaves to 1 1/2 cups of plain cold (!) spring water and leave it to steep about 4 hours, or until it is colored nicely...then decant the tea, and use it with whatever you wish: mint, sugar, ice cubes, a strawberry or other garnish .........it has a very delicate flavor ////be sure you make your ice out of spring water, too or the chemicals will interfere with the tea you so carefully brewed ...

Answer 6

How to make Southern Tea.
Using loose tea you will need to use your coffee pot to make it real easy.
Make a pot of tea.
While the tea is hot add sugar to taste.
Stir
Add water so it won't be so strong.
Stir
Let stand out at room temperature
Pour over ice
top with mint.

Answer 7

with tea leaves you need to find a mesh tea ball. you put the leaves in the ball about half full, add boiled water, then let it steep. you'll have to wait a long time until it cools

Answer 8

Brew a pot of tea to perfection, chill it then add ice cubes and a thin slice of lemon.

Answer 9

put tea leave in a large jar , fill with water , put is sun for 8 hours , add ice

Answer 10

first u make tea then cool it then put a lot of sugar in there and walla!