FINALLY! The sun is actually out and its beginning to feel warm! So before it disappears again, taking our sorry excuse for a summer with it, time to get some appropriate beverages chilling in the fridge, like this easy peasy lemon squeezy homemade sweet iced tea. The secret ingredient is bicarb, a pinch of which stops the final brew from going cloudy. But you really can’t go wrong with a glass of this (or a jar, which seems to be very popular right now for putting most anything in!) over ice on a hot Summer’s day. Honest 🙂
For a nation that loves tea, and by love I mean use as a crutch for most any type of social or emotional situation, we really haven’t taken to it at all as a cold drink. I’m guessing the weather has a lot to do with that… But growing up in Hong Kong this stuff was hugely popular, usually made up from a Liptons’ powder mix which I’ve recently discovered on sale at one of Edinburgh’s Chinese supermarkets in the most addictive mango flavour *glee* It wasn’t until Hubby moved in that I actually had it from scratch, being American he was near as dammit weaned on the stuff – they even sell it in McDonald’s stateside!
So now, as soon as there’s any hint of warmth in the air I can pretty much be guaranteed to find a “vat” of this taking up most of the top shelf in the fridge! Not that I’m complaining when it’s delicious and thirst quenching
- 5 Ceylon Orange Pekoe teabags (Twinings do a lovely one)
- 1 lemon, sliced and seeded
- 3/4 – 1 cup of sugar or sweetner (Splenda works really well)
- 1/8 tsp of bicarbonate soda
- Pop the teabags into 1 pint of freshly boiled water. Cover and steep for an hour.
- In the meantime, drop the lemon slices into 2 pints of cold water and pop in fridge to keep cool. Ideally, use a large pitcher that will hold the additional pint of tea when it’s ready.
- When the tea is ready, remove the teabags before adding the sugar and bicarb, and whisk well.
- Mix the sugared tea into the cold lemon water.
- Keep it in the fridge and tuck in whenever the thirst takes your fancy, ideally over ice and with a slice.
