Iced Tea.

There is nothing more refreshing in the summer than a nice glass of cool iced tea. Personally, I find most store bought iced tea to be too sweet and fake tasting, so last summer I attempted to make my own, and arrived at this concoction.

In my early experimentation, I began with this recipe from one of my favorite websites CookingforEngineers.com. However, it was a bit too sweet for my liking, and I've since modified it to my tastes. Other people seem to enjoy it too, so I thought it would be good to share. Quantities are approximations, you can modify it however you like.

Iced Tea

2 L water approx. (I just kind of fill up my spagetti pot)
2 bags of black tea (I typically use orange pekoe)
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 C sugar

Bring the water up to a boil (or close to) on the stovetop. Turn off heat and add the tea bags.
Let steep for about 20 minutes, then add lemon juice and sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Allow to cool for about an hour.
Remove the tea bags and pour the still-warm tea into a pitcher, and place in the fridge until totally chilled.
Serve on ice. (or with part-lemonade for a fantastic Arnold Palmer!)



Variation: Mint

Sometimes I add whole sprigs of mint to the tea while it steeps, which gives the tea a very refreshing twist. Try not to add mint leaves while the water is too hot, or they will scald slightly. Remove the leaves when you remove the tea bags.

Fun Science Fact:
Tea (black tea anyways) is an indicator; that is, it changes color in response to changes in pH. The lemon juice makes the tea lighter, while a base (if you added soap, for instance) would turn it darker (I say "would" because why would you want to?)


After the lemon juice.



Before the addition of lemon juice.