# Making Iced Tea - Your recipe/technique **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892 "2010-11-16T19:05:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/41 "2010-11-18T00:19:43Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > May I presume that by this she means _sugar_-sweetened tea? > [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Doesn’t that apply more to the commercially sweetened tea, and to the more southern-style “sweet tea?” (like at McDonald’s - blech) Oh, yes, she’s talking about sugar-sweetened tea - she sweetens hers with Splenda. And I live in the South, where “sweet tea” is essentially brown sugar water, and “unsweet tea” a Yankee abomination. I’ve never asked Mom if she is distinguishing between the high-octane stuff that my family calls “barbeque tea” and mildly sweetened tea such as **SeaDragonTattoo** and the OP are referring to. Intuitively, it seems that a lower-sugar sweet tea would be better than the full-test. But I don’t know. Agree with you on McDonald’s - wayyyy too sweet. And I am a sweet tea addict. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/42 "2010-11-18T00:21:46Z")
I start out with two family sized bags of Luzianne and a quart of boiling water. Leave the tea steep for 5-10 minutes, take the bags out, fill with another quart of cold water and refridgerate. Sometimes, in the summer, I’ll throw in a couple of Celestial Seasonings peppermint bags just to make it interesting. When expecting guests, I make sweet tea pretty much in the same manner, except after I remove the teabags, I put 3/4 cup sugar and stir until dissolved before adding the cold water. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/43 "2010-11-18T00:37:11Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Do these work? I’ve always stared at them in the aisle and then left, muttering “Couldn’t possibly be any different than a regular tea bag”. > > Fight my ignorance: is it good? As good, or almost as good? Cold-brewing tea is the same as cold-brewing coffee. It just takes longer than when using hot water. ---
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/44 "2010-11-18T01:40:09Z")
I am also a fan of the easy method: Lipton Cold Brew. Really good stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/45 "2010-11-18T13:32:36Z")
Anybody ever try adding a spoonful of Tang to the container during brewing? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/46 "2010-11-18T14:52:41Z")
What has me angry right now is that in spite of this thread reminding me all day yesterday that I needed to stop and buy tea on the way home last night, did I? Noooooooo. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/47 "2010-11-18T16:51:50Z")
Don’t boil the water, make it hot but keep it shy of boiling. Also one bag of Constant Comment for every three or four bags of black tea adds a very nice depth of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/48 "2010-11-18T16:55:07Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Anybody ever try adding a spoonful of Tang to the container during brewing? Mr. Horseshoe likes his this way sometimes. And to chime in on the sweetened tea vs. soft drink debate: even if all else was equal (calories, sugar added) wouldn’t tea still win out as healthier because it’s a source of antioxidants, and Coke isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/49 "2010-11-18T23:28:58Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Mr. Horseshoe likes his this way sometimes. > > And to chime in on the sweetened tea vs. soft drink debate: even if all else was equal (calories, sugar added) wouldn’t tea still win out as healthier because it’s a source of antioxidants, and Coke isn’t? Probably. I was just pointing out that sugary tea is not any improvement on Coke in terms of glycemic indices. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/50 "2010-11-19T01:29:27Z")
I don’t have a cite for ya, but I believe there’s an argument that simple sugars neutralize antioxidants. Don’t know if honey or maple syrup or agave are in that group. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/51 "2010-11-19T03:37:25Z")
I use about 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil on the stove. Once at a boil, I add about 8 tea bags, usually 4 peach and 4 lemon. Steep for about 10-15 minutes or so, add a little sugar and stir. Maybe just one or two tablespoons for the whole lot. Also, about a teaspoon or two of lemon juice. Then, if it’s on sale, I add a little white cranberry peach juice to it. Almost Arnold Palmer-ish, but not lemonade. It adds a bit of tart sweetness. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892/52 "2010-11-19T03:41:51Z")
I haven’t read the thread to see how others do it, but this is how I made iced tea. Fill a one-gallon glass jug with cold water. (e.g., an apple juice jug.) Tie the strings of three tea bags together. Put the bags into the jug and put the cap on, leaving the tags on the outside. Leave in the sun until it’s done. Put in the fridge to cool. I no longer live in a desert or even L.A., and I like the water up here. So for a cold drink I usually drink water. Haven’t made sun tea in years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-iced-tea-your-recipe-technique/560892.md?page=2)