Thirsty? Try Easy to Make, Cold Brew, Flavored Iced Tea

So refreshing! Try a glass of cold-brewed raspberry iced tea -- aaaaah!

I’m a dedicated coffee drinker out of love and necessity. I need/want/crave that morning jolt to get me going. Hot tea fills a key role on sick days and sometimes as a soothing after-dinner cuppa. But iced tea is a whole other animal. A cool, crisp, refreshing animal – so what would that be, an otter?
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Here’s a quote I like about iced tea from author Vera Nazarian: 

“Imagine a delicious glass of summer iced tea.
Take a long cool sip. Listen to the ice crackle and clink.
Is the glass part full or part empty?
Take another sip.
And now?” 

​​But okay, literary diversions aside, does anyone really need a recipe for iced tea? I mean, come on, this is pretty basic, right? 

Yes and no. I found a lot to like in this recipe from The Yummy Life including a process that requires no boiling water and the option to vary the flavors from sweet to savory and everything in between. You infuse a jar of cold water and tea bags with whatever flavorings you desire and let it cold-brew in the fridge overnight. 

Pretty blue mason jars (vintage of course!) are perfect for tea. Click the photo to see more

I used my vintage blue mason jars to make and serve the tea. The aqua-colored glass is so pretty, and I like knowing that the 100-year old jars still work well and look even better!

​For a closer look at the antique blue canning jars available for purchase in my online shop Entertaining Vintage please click on the photo. 

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I made a pouch with cheesecloth and kitchen twine, ladled a big spoonful of raspberry jam inside, added it to the tea jar, and refrigerated it overnight. The next day I removed the teabags and the cheesecloth, leaving behind only delicious raspberry tea that had a little sweetness and no raspberry seeds to plague my dental work. Delish!

Next time I’ll do a batch with fresh ginger slices. Or fruit and herbs together – strawberries and basil would be an excellent combo! Please click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

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Flavored Refrigerator Iced Tea
Recipe source: The Yummy Life
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tea bags or 4 teaspoons loose leaf tea
• 4 cups tap or room temperature water

To Add Flavors, Choose From:

• 1/2 cup fruit jam or preserves – RECOMMENDED: ½ cup raspberry jam
• 1 cup fruit juice/drink (pomegranate juice, apricot nectar, black cherry juice, grapefruit & orange juice, apple cider, etc.)
• 1/3 cup thawed frozen juice/drink concentrate (lemonade, orange juice, etc.)
• Spices (2 cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 2 tablespoons crushed crystallized ginger, etc.)
• Sprig of fresh herbs (mint, lavender, rosemary, basil, thyme), chopped
• 1 teaspoon extract (vanilla or almond)
• 2-4 tablespoons flavored syrups/sauces (maple, blueberry, caramel, etc.)
• Additional sweeteners to taste, if desired (sugar, simple syrup, honey, agave syrup, etc.)
• Shot of alcohol (rum, flavored liqueurs, etc.) per glass of flavored tea

DIRECTIONS:

• Use a 1-quart Mason jar or pitcher. A tea basket or ball is needed for adding flavors using jam/preserves, herbs, or spices.
• NOTE: Don’t have a tea basket or tea ball? Me neither. You can make a cheesecloth pouch to contain the flavorings. Cut the cheesecloth to the proper size – make sure to allow enough for a double layer of cloth. Douse the cheesecloth in water, then squeeze it out and place the flavoring in the middle of the cloth. Pull the ends together and wrap the cloth firmly closed with a piece of kitchen twine. Cut the twine long enough so it will hang outside the jar while the tea brews.
• If using tea bags: Hang tea bags inside pitcher or jar with strings hanging over the rim (for easy removal later). Add jam/preserves or spices to tea basket or ball and insert in pitcher or jar. Add fruit juices or extracts to jar/pitcher. Add water making sure that tea and added flavorings are immersed, cover, and put in fridge for 6-12 hours. Remove tea bags, basket, or balls and serve.
• If using loose leaf tea: Add 4 teaspoons tea leaves to a tea basket, tea ball or tea filter bag. Add flavors and water as described above.

What is your favorite summertime sipper? Share the deets in the Comments.