Perfect Iced Tea

by Sara Perry
from The Tea Deck
(Chronicle, 2008)
Serves 4

Here are two methods for making perfect iced tea every time. Prepared in the traditional manner, with hot water, iced tea often becomes cloudy when chilled. Solution? Add a little boiling water to the chilled tea and give it a stir. If you want your iced tea to be crystal clear, use the cold-water method.—Sara Perry

convert Ingredients
For the hot-water method
4 cups (1 quart) cold water, divided
1/4 cup loose black tea leaves, or 4 tea bags
Ice cubes

For the cold-water method
1/4 cup loose black tea leaves, or 4 tea bags
Ice cubes

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Method
Make the hot-water method
1. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of the cold water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea leaves. Stir, cover, and steep for 5 minutes.

2. Stir and strain through a fine sieve to remove the leaves. (For crystal-clear iced tea, strain a second time through filter paper—the kind used to make drip coffee.)

3. Pour the tea into a pitcher containing the remaining 2 cups of cold water. Stir and pour into tall glasses filled with ice cubes.

Make the cold-water method
1. Fill a large glass container with the tea and cold water. Stir well and chill overnight.

2. If you used loose tea, strain through a fine sieve to remove the tea leaves. (For crystal-clear iced tea, strain a second time through filter paper—the kind used to make drip coffee.)

3. Refrigerate until serving time. Stir and pour into tall glasses filled with ice cubes.

Recipe © 2008 Sara Perry. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.