Cold brewed coffee has been all the rage the last few years and it turns out that you can cold brew tea as well! I am a fan of tea and one hot summer day I was enjoying a cup of iced tea while making a batch of cold brew coffee and I wondered if tea could also be cold brewed; a quick search of the internet revealed that it can! The best part is that it’s so easy to make! You simply place the tea leaves (or bags) in water and let it sit for a few hours to overnight, either at room temperature or in the fridge before straining out the leaves and enjoying! I actually enjoy the cold brewed tea better than the hot brewed tea! The cold brewed tea is a little mellower, it has less bitterness and in general it tastes fresher! My favourite tea’s to cold brew are white teas, green teas and oolong teas but black teas also work great! I like to assemble a few of them in masons jars with lids and throw them in the fridge one night to enjoy, cold, straight from the fridge over the next few days; it’s so convenient! The next time you want an iced tea this summer, try cold brewing it!
Before cold brewing:
After cold brewing:
Three kinds of tea (from left to right): Oolong Tea, Green Tea, Kukicha Green Tea
Frosty, cool and refreshing!
Cold Brewed Iced Tea
Easy peasy, 5 minute, overnight, cold brewed iced tea that’s perfect for hot summer days!
ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 4 teaspoons loose leaf tea (or two tea bags)
- 2 cups ice
directions
- Place the water and tea in a container, seal and let chill in the fridge overnight before straining out the tea leaves and adding ice.
Option: Replace the ice with 2 cups water.
Option: Add sweetener like honey!
Option: Add flavours like lemon juice, fresh mint, fresh basil, etc.!
these are perfect for summer. and they look so so delicious!
Cool kitchen gadgets
I’ve been cold-brewing tea for a long time, and I agree that the flavor is more mellow than hot-brewed tea. I fill a 1-liter juice pitcher with bottled water and add three English Breakfast teabags and one Moroccan Mint tea bag. The pitcher goes into the fridge overnight, and the tea is ready in the morning. (I live in Portugal where Lipton sells Moroccan Mint tea bags in grocery stores. I’ve not seen this product in the U.S., but I have found tea vendors who sell something similarly flavored — mint and warm spices — in loose leaves.)
I love the fact that you are reusing this main jars and lids! One of my go to sauces, just because of the regular Mason lid!
LOL! I should have blurred out the brand name! 🙂 I do like those jars! (And what comes in them!)
I also love cold brewed tea. We have a local tea shop with all kinds of flavoured tea. You can add some sparkling Perrier to make it even more refreshing. Enjoy
Yum! Sparkling cold brewed ice tea!
I’ve been cold brewing my iced tea for a couple of years now. Last year, I grew stevia plants in my garden. At the end of the summer I harvested the stevia, and started putting the stevia in with my tea leaves when I brew my tea. Not only do I get a great tasting tea, it’s already sweetened with the stevia which does not raise my blood sugars. Double win for me. <
I like the idea of growing your own stevia and using the leaves in a tea like this!