Summer Brewed Iced Tea

What better way to start off summer than with gardening and iced tea? (We’ll get to the gardening later). I have never been one to love iced tea. I’ve always thought that it was too bitter and flavorless. Over the past few years however, I have started to develop a taste for it. I must say, I am definitely a sweet tea kind of gal. 

After a friend re-introduced me to my new found love of tea, she showed me how she made hers. She used an iced tea machine... I can honestly say I never knew there was such a thing! Really? I guess it’s like a coffee machine, but brews with tea bags for tea. So I decided I wanted to make my own tea, but without the large contraption of a tea machine. I learned that I love, especially during summer, drinking mint tea. More specifically spearmint tea. It’s very refreshing and light.

First, I filled a huge pot with hot water and started it to boil. Then I added my 5 tea bags of Bigelow Mint Medley Herb Tea. (This tea is also caffeine free which is important because I’m a nursing mother). 

*When I made my first batch I started out with 9 bags of peppermint tea. What a rookie mistake. It was WAY too strong, and I really didn't like the peppermint. I had to water it down considerably before it was drinkable. I tried 9 bags because I calculated the ratio of ounces of water, for a regular glass of tea and tea bag, to the larger amount of water I was using. Needless to say, that didn’t work, and all I needed was 5 bags. This still makes the tea very flavorful.*

I let the tea brew in the hot water for about 5 minutes. I removed the tea bags and added plain, regular sugar to the hot mixture, about 3/4 cups. (When I used real sugar cubes, I guestimated). The sugar dissolves very quickly since the water was hot.

I then let the tea cool in the pot. It was still warm when I transferred it to my drink dispenser (a cheapy jug I found at my local grocery store in the seasonal aisle, but it was fine). Since it’s plastic I didn’t worry about it cracking by putting it straight into the fridge.

 

Ready to serve!!

How do you like your tea?