Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Cold Brew Iced Tea #Recipe by Mia P. Manansala @MPMtheWriter

 Hello Summer!

Cold brew coconut-guava iced tea

With the temperature in Chicagoland holding steady in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit) and the humidity already feeling thick and soupy, staying hydrated has become a challenge. I love water but it often doesn’t feel like enough to quench my thirst after sweating it out in the heat. I try to avoid sugary sports drinks unless I’m doing an intense workout, so cold brew iced tea has been my drink of choice lately. I prefer loose leaf teas with dried fruit and herbs as natural sweeteners, but you can also use unflavored teas and/or tea bags as well.


Ingredients:


1 tsp loose leaf tea OR 1 tea bag per 6-10 oz water

Optional: ice, sweetener, lemon, fruit slices, milk

Directions:

  1. In a clean pitcher, preferably with a lid, add your tea/tea bags and water. How much water you use depends on how strong your like your tea and what type of tea you use. Use your particular teas instructions as a guideline. Place in the refrigerator for at least six hours.
  2. You can either strain the tea into another pitcher (or remove the tea bags) once it reaches your desired strength, or keep the tea leaves/bags in the water. The tea will get stronger the longer it sits, but it won’t become bitter because of the cold extraction process. If it becomes too strong, you can add cold water or serve with plenty of ice to dilute the flavor.
  3. I prefer to keep the tea leaves in the pitcher and pour individual servings through a tea strainer into my glass. I drink my tea plain, but you could sweeten to taste and/or serve with milk or lemon slices.

Choose a great loose leaf tea or tea bags and clean covered pitcher

Add 6-10 oz of water per teaspoon of tea/tea bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight

When it's brewed to your desired strength, remove the tea bags or pour through a tea strainer into your glass. Add optional ice, milk, sweeteners, etc. to taste.

What's your favorite beverage to beat the heat? Let me know in the comments!


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3 comments:

  1. Cold brew tea is great! I make it in a lovely tea pitcher/pot that I got from Arbor Teas. Black tea and some fresh mint (when my plants are in a sharing mood!).
    Really hit the spot.

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    Replies
    1. I love that special something that fresh mint brings to tea! I had a windowsill mint plant that I enjoyed using in sweet and savory dishes, but it withered and died within a few months :(

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    2. My plants go through cycles. They produce beautifully and then suddenly punk out. But they some times recover. No idea why. Same location and care.

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