Just add ice

This is the first of a two-part "series'' on summer beverages.

When I spotted the pair of vintage two-quart Mason jars Robert picked up (for 25 cents apiece!) at a yard sale, I knew immediately what I would be using one of them for: 

Iced tea. With this summer's spell of hot, sticky weather, the jars came to live with us at just the right time.

I know some of you make "sun tea,'' filling glass containers with tea bags and water from the tap and leaving it to steep in a nice sunny spot for a couple of hours. And some people make "cold brewed" tea, filling a pitcher with tea and cold water and leaving it to steep in the refrigerator overnight. Supposedly, tea made this way tastes smooth and less strong.

I like strong iced tea and make it the old-school way, with boiling water poured over tea bags (Constant Comment or Lipton orange spice are fine) and left to steep, along with a couple sprigs of fresh mint, for 10 minutes or longer. I've been told, repeatedly, that pouring scalding water into a glass vessel is an accident waiting to happen, but I've never had a problem.

When the tea has cooled considerably, I screw on the lid and put it in the refrigerator. Tea has a shelf life (bacteria will grow in it) so two quarts (8 cups) is a nice amount. We'll finish it off before anything bad can happen to it.

As for serving: We'll leave sweet tea to the Southerners! I like iced tea with with lots of ice (duh!), a squeeze of lemon and a hint of sugar (or the artificial sweetener in the pink packet, God help me). Swirl some lemon juice and sweetener together, add ice, pour in the tea and stir again.

We also like iced tea mixed with lemonade (sometimes called an Arnold Palmer) and iced tea mixed with lemonade and a splash of ginger ale or club soda.

Whatever way you take it, step out on the porch, put your feet up, sip and say AHHHHHHH!

Next: Just add alcohol.

  

Comments

[Margaret]

That's interesting about the metal pan, Barbara. I think I'll try your technique the next time and see for myself! Thanks for visiting.

[barbara]

Looking forward to your next post :) Carrie and I are sweet-tea drinkers ourselves. It was only this summer I realized why my mom's tea tastes better than mine, even though we use the same ingredients and quantities. She's always let hers steep in a metal saucepan, and it really makes a difference. (It's not aluminum, so hopefully we're not killing ourselves. It's too late, anyway, with the quantity that we've had.)