How do I make real iced tea?
 

This sounds like a simple question for someone who has been cooking for 50+ years, but how do you make real iced tea? I dislike the canned sweet tea we buy way up here in the north. I make a very good pot of hot tea but iced sweet tea has me baffled. It would be nice to have a pitcher in my fridge ready to drink, now that our hot and humid summer is approaching. Thanks everyone for the help.

Whether right or wrong ...
I just make hot tea, to my liking.
Remove the tea bags, and then let it cool.
Sweeten to taste.

Get you an ice tea maker. I don't exactly follow the directions given. Here is my procedure and we love it. I brew the tea in the ice tea maker. Then I put a cup of sugar and some water in a microwavable pitcher, stir this up a bit and heat in microwave until sugar completely dissolves. We use a one gallon milk jug to storing the tea so I then pour the hot sugar mixture in the gallon jug. When the tea has completed it cycle, I pour the tea into the milk jug and fill the jug nearly full with tap water. Then I turn the jug a few times to mix the tea and finish filling with tap water. Store in the fridge and enjoy. My husband and I can drink a gallon of this sweet in two days time. I like the flavored teas so I often put a little blackberry syrup or raspberry syrup in mine. It is so, so delicious.

I make sun tea. I use the large canning jars, put a teabag in & set in the sun for a couple hours. Put a bit of sugar in while it is still warm & shake - then refrigerate.

I only drink unsweetened tea, hot or cold. I normally heat water to just under the boiling point. Most of the time I do couple of cups in the microwave, faster and easier. Then I add the tea bags for about 5 min and take them out and pour over ice. I don't want the bitter stuff to get into my tea. When you drink it without sugar, etc then you notice the taste of the tea itself. I can't stand instant tea, no matter what. If I was going to add sugar it would be to disolve it in the hot water first.

My mom always boiled water in the kettle or in a saucepan - then pour the hot water in the pitcher with your tea bags (I use between 5-8 tea bags) I think Lipton is the best - fill the pitcher about half way or less with hot water- just let the tea bags steep for a while - then add cold water to the top - sweeten as you like it - usually add ice to the glass to cool it more.

I make ice tea daily. We have a very large kettle that holds more then a gallon. I boil hot filtered water, turn off the burner once it hits a hard boil, and put oolong tea and a little dried ginger in the kettle. This is where you would add sugar or any other sweetners if you wanted. I let it stand on the stove till it has cooled and then pour it into glass containers, glass apple juice bottle or glass pitchers, and let it further cool in the fridge. I do not use ice but if I intent to like for wedding parties I make ice cubes from the ice tea. You can also make the tea stronger to account for the ice melting and diluting the tea. I am just not fond of drinking molten ice.

I am of Northern European descent so there is always tea in my fridge. I have a teamaker that I use but I am guessing that you don't have one. To make it atop the stove I would do it as stated above but here is my formula from on top of the range. I keep it simple.

4-5 family size tea bags.....black tea or any iced tea blend
boil water in a saucepan add bags and steep for 30 minutes or more.
Pour the steeped tea in a gallon pitcher and add cold water. Squeeze teabags.
Sweeten to taste and refrigerate.

As you make it you will adjust it to you tastes. Another thought is to add a raspberry teabag to brew.

I have iced sweet tea in my fridge at all times. Can't live without it.

Using a tea kettle, heat water until the whistle. Don't boil - especially if you have hard water. It gives a funky taste.

Pour water into a 1 gallon pitcher and drop in 1 family size tea bag.

Let it steep for 30 minutes or so.

Sweeten to taste. I use either 1 cup of sugar or artificial sweetener to equal that.

Fill the jug the rest of the way up with cold water and stick in the fridge.

In my house, we make at least 2 gallons every day. More if my Dad stops by.

put the tea bags in the coffee maker pour water in ---tea out ......pour over pitcher of ice and add sugar to liking [or not]