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Sweet Iced Tea

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 31, 2011

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes about 6½ cups)

Sweet Iced Tea

Ingredients

10 black tea bags4 cups water, at room temperature2 cups fruit juice 6 - 9 tablespoons Simple Sauce recipe (see headnote)

Before You Begin

Use your favorite fruit juice and one of the following Simple Syrup recipes: Simple Syrup for Iced Tea, Orange Simple Syrup, Lime Simple Syrup, Lemon Simple Syrup, or Cinnamon Simple Syrup.

Instructions

  1. Submerge tea bags in water in serving pitcher. Steep for 45 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.
  2. Stir juice and Simple Syrup (adjust amount depending on desired sweetness) into tea. Serve over ice.
Sweet Iced Tea

Sweet Iced Tea

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 8 (Makes about 6½ cups)

Ingredients

10 black tea bags
4 cups water, at room temperature
2 cups fruit juice
6 - 9 tablespoons Simple Sauce recipe (see headnote)

Ingredients

10 black tea bags
4 cups water, at room temperature
2 cups fruit juice
6 - 9 tablespoons Simple Sauce recipe (see headnote)

Ingredients

10 black tea bags
4 cups water, at room temperature
2 cups fruit juice
6 - 9 tablespoons Simple Sauce recipe (see headnote)

Why This Recipe Works

We started our Sweet Iced Tea recipe by skipping the heat. We steeped a large quantity of tea bags in room-temperature water for a strong-flavored brew without the bitterness. Instead of granulated sugar, we sweetened the tea with simple syrup—equal parts water and sugar heated long enough to dissolve the sugar. Mix and match fruit juices and simple syrups to make your own fun flavors (see the links in the headnote to our Simple Syrup recipes), or click on the related recipes below the instructions for iced tea recipe variations.

Before You Begin

Use your favorite fruit juice and one of the following Simple Syrup recipes: Simple Syrup for Iced Tea, Orange Simple Syrup, Lime Simple Syrup, Lemon Simple Syrup, or Cinnamon Simple Syrup.

Instructions

  1. Submerge tea bags in water in serving pitcher. Steep for 45 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.
  2. Stir juice and Simple Syrup (adjust amount depending on desired sweetness) into tea. Serve over ice.

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Appears In

Magazine

June / July 2005

Key Equipment

Equipment

The Best Rasp Graters

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