Monday, July 23, 2007

Tuesday's Tea of the Week

We're having a bit of a heatwave here in Denver.
(I know, it's summer. It's supposed to be hot. I was born and raised in Phoenix, so I've had many a hot summer. Somehow, being almost nine months pregnant, makes it all seem hotter.)
With the temperature hovering around 100 degrees, I am trying to stay inside and keep cool. It's days like this I really enjoy a good glass of iced tea. I still drink my hot teas in the mornings, but switch to iced later on.


I received my newsletter yesterday from Prettywood Tea. They had a lovely article on Iced Tea, so I wrote and asked if I could share it with you. They said that would be fine, so here it is. Enjoy! (I've not personally bought anything from their website yet, but I do enjoy their newsletter and browsing the site.)

How to Brew The Perfect Glass of Iced Tea

Iced tea is one of the most popular beverages in the US! You can stay cool and refreshed this summer with a nice tall glass of ice tea. Here are your four easy steps to brewing the perfect cup:

  1. Start with ice. You'll need to fill your glass about ¾ of the way.
  2. Brew your tea. Boil 4 oz. of water, then add 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves, or one tea bag. Use the normal brewing time, or the tea may become bitter. Now, you have a strong, concentrated tea. Let the tea cool down a little.
  3. Pour the warm, concentrated tea over the glass of ice.
  4. Add a slice of lemon and sugar to taste. Relax and enjoy!

And don't forget these helpful tips:

  • To make an 8-glass pitcher, simply increase the amount of water to 32 oz., and use enough ice to fill the pitcher ¾ full. Use 2-3 tablespoons of tea.
  • For best taste, we recommend a fruit-flavored black tea or a fruity herbal blend.
  • Use large ice cubes, not chipped or crushed ice. Ice cubes are slower to melt, and will cool tea more without adding excess water.

If you want to make authentic Southern sweet tea, try this recipe, which substitutes cold water for ice:

Mix 1 cup of sugar with 4 cups of water, and chill in refrigerator until cold. Bring 4 cups of water to boiling. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of loose black tea leaves. Steep for around six minutes, then strain to remove loose tea leaves. Mix the tea with the cold sugar-water mixture. Chill in refrigerator again until cold. Serve plain or over ice!

5 comments:

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

Thank you for the link!

I was born in July the year that still holds records for high temps. I know my parents did not have air conditioning. I think of that often as it is so hot almost every year on my birthday!

Fortunately, my kids were Fall/Winter babies. :)

Anonymous said...

< Give eight random facts about yourself. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. >

You're tagged, Kim!
joanna :)
p.s. Thanks for the note at my much neglected blog. That's not why I'm tagging you, by the way. I would have tagged you regardless, lol.

Kimberly said...

Joanna~ I did stop by the other day, but can't remember your blog address. Please leave it in a comment so that I can reply and link back. Thanks!

Jeanne said...

Such a lovely journal.......
Blessings!

Jodi said...

Mmm ~ we love iced tea year round, but really go through it in the summer. :o)

I have two summer babies, June 30th and nine years later July 1st. :o) Brian (6/30) was born in Maine where we had no air conditioning. Ugh!

Do stay cool, my friend!

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