Summer Drink: Cold Tea

To the reader anticipating days of warm and nights of balm,

I like a simple, cool drink to haul about town with me, and when I'm bored of water a good cold tea is always welcome!  

There are over eighteen-jillion ways to make cold tea, or iced tea, but this is a method I use for my own "lazy drinks."  Come to think of it, I need to go boil up some water right now so I'll have tea to energize me during a busy day of cleaning!  

Look at these tiny ice cubes - actually called Cubettes!  I got the tiny trays at
Bed Bath & Beyond and I have been so delighted by them that my husband
considers them a worthy $2 investment.  

In this warm spring weather (Virginia, not Washington state!), I can barely keep
enough ice on hand to supply our constant desire!  When my chest freezer
arrives (along with our other household goods) I'll be able to fill even more ice
trays and containers in there.  (The freezer is not currently as empty as it was in
this before-shopping picture, so there isn't much room for storing extra ice!)

Cold Tea 

Water

Tea leaves or bags

Ice

Bring a small pot of water almost to a boil.  Turn off the heat, and add two tea bags or use more leaves than usual, to brew a strong pot.  Brew for as long as directed per your leaves (some leaves need longer, some shorter, to avoid bitter tannins).  

Leave the tea to cool to room temperature; I like to make enough that it will last me two days or so, and just leave it on the back of the stove or in the fridge (right now I have no pitchers, so my options are limited!).  

Fill a cup with ice; pour tea over it.  Enjoy your summer day!

Note: I prefer to have a non-sweetened drink to gad about town with me, but if you like your tea sweetened I would suggest making a simple syrup of water and sugar, melted and cooled, and adding it to your tea to taste. 

Note: If you wish, you can just add the tea leaves to a pot of cold water and let it sit for 45 minutes to steep without heating - this way you will really avoid releasing those bitter tannins we talked about.  I often make the hot version in the morning though, because I'll have some with breakfast before it finishes steeping; so I get my hot tea and my cold tea from the same batch!  

Sipping daintily, 

Mrs H

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