While lemon and peach have been tea flavor mainstays, the produce section is your oyster. Go tropical with pineapple or mango, or explore other citrus flavors like limes or oranges. Go berry with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
Summer and sweet tea, or Iced Tea in general. It’s a thing!
When the weather gets hot, the relaxing power of hot tea in a cozy chair in front of a fire in the winter transfers over to a refreshing iced tea on a rocking chair on the front porch on a hot summer day.
Whether you stick to a classic family recipe (which may seem more like genetic muscle memory than a recipe) or love trying new and different kinds, there are lots of ways to customize your own perfect glass.
If you go to any restaurant or drive thru, you know they love to tempt you with a new flavor combo in a bright sugary drink!
Have one you really love that almost makes you want to battle beach traffic to go buy? Experiment at home and make your own recipe, suited exactly to your taste, without all the sugars and often, food dyes.
You can also of course, google a good “copycat” recipe.
While lemon and peach have been tea flavor mainstays, the produce section is your oyster. Go tropical with pineapple or mango, or explore other citrus flavors like limes or oranges.
Go berry with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Chances are, any fruit you have on hand will work just fine.
Once you pick your flavors, there are several ways to bring these flavors in.
Simple syrup is a great way to flavor a whole pitcher of tea, or by the glass, especially if you are already making your own simple syrup to brew. Use the typical 1:1 sugar to water ratio but then add in your fruit, such as peaches, while boiling.
Finish by running through a fine strainer. Store the excess in an airtight container or mason jar. Bonus — you can use the boiled fruit for topping ice cream/oatmeal/etc.
Not in the season of life where you have time for making your own? Flavored simple syrups can be picked up at your grocery store or even shop around at your farmer’s market for a specialty vendor who sells them!
Another method for flavoring a whole pitcher is to splurge on an infuser pitcher, which has a core that you can not only steep the tea in, but add fruit in without a pulpy mess.
Muddling in the fruit glass by the glass is also a great way to release flavor, though it won’t work as well for an entire pitcher that might go back into your refrigerator for another time, as it can look cloudy. Simply press and twist the fruit of your choice to the bottom of your glass, such as raspberries, to bring also the juicy goodness into your sip.
Other methods can include freezing pureed fruit into cubes to drop in or for a very no fuss way, drop in some freeze dried fruit like strawberries for some flavor.
Several tea companies are also broadening their offerings with tea bags and leaves featuring fruity notes that you can find at your local grocery store, or find at a specialty shop like Topiary & Tea located in Dover Station in Easton. Dress them up with more fruit or drink as is.
Top off your drink with some fresh mint or rosemary, or fold in some sophisticated lavender or sweet hibiscus, or other goodies you may have in your garden. Use your spice drawer for adding zips of ginger or cinnamon.
Keep in mind that fruit adds a natural sweetness, so you may need to adjust the base of your tea. Tea leaves themselves fall into three main categories — green, black and herbal. The earthy flavor of green tea makes it a great candidate for sweetening up with sweet fruits like strawberries.
Not a fan of just green tea? Brew black and green together to get a just right custom taste, or even make it a trio by adding tea bags already using fruity notes.
Is there a best way to brew tea? Any tea maker with a brown tinged pitcher in her cabinet — if it ever even makes it in there — surely has a strong opinion on the matter, but when it all boils down, there are several suitable ways to brew your potion.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is whichever way you choose to brew, the key is to not over or under steep.
Cold brewing of steeping the tea bags in cool water for 6-12 hours is the best hands off way that also won’t heat up your kitchen. It’s also said this is the way to get the crispest tea without the bitterness, and it will keep that freshness longer.
If a steam facial is not something you mind, there is of course boiling to brew which can be slightly quicker.
If using this method, be sure to cool your batch down to room temperature before chilling to prevent cloudiness.
If your summer is just plain busy and you don’t want a whole production of boiling or waiting for it to steep every time you want tea, you could also experiment with making your own concentrate.
With this method, you’ll put in the work once with the method of your choosing and then be able to put tea together in a flash the next few times. Plus, your stash won’t take up the entire refrigerator shelf. (Because, seriously, how much weight can those things support!?)
A good ratio for concentrate whether boiling on the stovetop or soaking in a mason jar with cooled water overnight, is two cups of water and 12 tea bags, or the equivalent in leaves. Potent stuff! And then, when ready to enjoy, mix it in with one part concentrate to seven parts water as you need it.
A healthy perk of tea is that it is rich in antioxidants and when you brew at home, you can control other considerations like sugar.
To add in some sweet that’s not necessarily sugar, try honey, agave syrup or maple syrup.
Not wanting to totally cut refined sugar? Or have a picky husband? (aren’t they all?) Use a ratio of both sugar and an alternative sweetener.
To store your liquid gold, the best container is a tightly sealed glass one to keep any other food in your fridge from absorbing in.
Glass is also the best to serve it in as tea tends to absorb a metallic taste easily.
If you find yourself having so much fun brewing tea that it feels like a party, try adding it at your next actual party. Start out with the tea (and lemonade) bases and include ingredients for your guests to experiment with their own flavors.
This is a popular trend for teenage parties this graduation season.
Slow down and sip in the sweetness of summer with your own tea recipe!
