On a sticky hot day, you may not even want to turn the stove on or get a kettle steaming hot. Here's a great way to make a pitcher of iced tea without involving boiling water - it's the cold brew technique.
On a sticky hot day, you may not even want to turn the stove on or get a kettle steaming hot. Here's a great way to make a pitcher of iced tea without involving boiling water - it's the cold brew technique.
Posted at 02:26 PM in coffee, direct selling, Food and Drink, iced tea, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The hot weather has finally caught up to Ontario and iced tea season is here!
What if you are the only iced tea drinker in your household and/or making iced tea a pitcher at a time is impractical for you? Did you realize you could make instant iced tea with our tasty loose leaf tea, and not have to revert to the sugary, chemical-tasting powdered stuff?
It's this easy:
Into your Brewt, add 1 perfect cup spoon of your desired loose leaf tea. Add sugar if desired. Add boiling water and allow to steep 3 minutes. If you like your iced tea stronger, add more tea rather than steep longer to avoid bitterness. Meanwhile, fill a glass with icecubes. Once the tea has steeped, place the Brewt over your glass of ice cubes. The mechanism in the bottom of the Brewt is triggered and the tea will drop down into the prepared glass. When the glass is full, simply lift the Brewt off. Add more ice cubes if necessary. Enjoy your single serving iced tea and chill out!
What are you favourite Steeped loose leaf teas to ice?
Posted at 07:46 AM in iced tea, loose tea, recipe, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Earlier this week, we shared a list of suggested combinations for creating your own flavoured iced teas.
Today we're sharing a list of suggested iced teas that don't require any blending. Just add 2-3 tbsp of any of these teas to your pitcher and add hot water. Steep for the same amount of time as you would a cup of hot tea. Then pour over ice cubes to chill.
Pai Mu Tan Margaret's Hope Jasmine Dragon Tears Any rooibos but especially: Pina Colada, Cranagranate, Lemon Drop, Orange Burst Many of our flavoured black teas: Monk's Blend, Ginger Peach, Bluest Blueberry Herbal Tisanes: Berry Mania, Bella Coola, Roasted Mate, Blue Lagoon, Superior Sunrise Strawberry Orange Green Teas: Superior Snow Cap Green, Japanese Sencha, Mango Delight, Genmaicha Iron Goddess Oolong (if you have some left!) Which Steeped Fine Loose Teas have you tried iced? Leave us a comment!
Posted at 12:17 AM in Food and Drink, herbal tea, iced tea, loose tea, oolong, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Here are a few ideas to try as you experiment with blending tea leaves to create new flavours. Remember to steep the tea tea leaves in the hot water for the same time you would do if preparing a cup of hot tea (ie, 5 minutes for black tea, 3 minutes for green, etc.) but if you are blending tea types, steep according to the leaves chosen (i.e. if you are trying a green and a rooibos together, steep as though steeping for green alone).
Jasmine Oolong - combine a few tbsp Iron Goddess Oolong with a tsp of Jasmine Dragon Pearls
White Blueberry - combine a few tbsp Pai Mu Tan and Bluest Blueberry
Strawberry Vanilla - combine Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Dream
Orange Chai - combine Masala Chai and Orange Burst
Berry Mint - combine Berry Mania and Peppy Peppermint
Lemon Ginger - combine Lemon Drop and Spicy Ginger
Chamomile Citrus - combine Egyptian chamomile with Lemon Drop and Orange Burst
Blueberry Lemon - combine Bluest Blueberry with Lemon Drop
Lavender Mint - combine small amounts of French Lavender and Peppy Peppermint with Black tea
Licorice Mint - combine Amsterdam Licorice with small amount of Peppy Peppermint
Cranberry Orange - combine Cranagranate with Orange Burst
Lemon Almond - combine Lemon Drop with Amaretto rooibos (try adding a little sprite or soda to give it some sparkle; add black tea if you like a little more body)
We're sure there's lots more great flavour combinations. Leave us a comment if you've created a great flavoured iced tea - we'd love to hear about it!
Posted at 12:53 AM in Food and Drink, herbal tea, iced tea, loose tea, oolong, recipe, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
These ideas were originally found on an American tea company's blog and we wanted to be sure our Canadian iced tea drinkers knew about them!
Flavoured Iced Tea
Flavoured iced tea can be both plain tea with additions or a flavoured tea as a based mixed with other ingredients to bring out their natural character. Here are some ideas for excellent add-ins:
Posted at 12:49 AM in Food and Drink, herbal tea, iced tea, loose tea, recipe, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sweet tea is a form of iced tea in which sugar or some other form of sweetener is added to the hot water before brewing, while brewing the tea, or post-brewing, but before the beverage is chilled and served. This especially sweet variation of tea enjoys most of its popularity in the Southern United States, though bottled iced teas labeled "Southern Style" or "Extra-sweet Southern Style" appear in refrigerated cases throughout the country.
I'd have to say that most iced tea served in Canada is made in the sweet tea tradition. I remember as a child taking a family trip to the Finger Lakes area of New York and ordering iced tea. My only previous exposure to iced tea would have been the Nestea powdered stuff, and my first sip shocked me. I tried stirring a packet of sugar into the bitter drink but to no avail. Those little crystals just whirled around in the icy chill. Fast forward a dozen or so years, and as a server in Toronto, I'd see many American customers absolutely disgusted by the syrup-y concoction our restaurants offer as iced tea. Most of these tourists must not have been from the south!
The oldest known recipe for sweet ice tea was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree, who was born in Texas. The recipe called for green tea. In fact, most sweet tea consumed during this period was green tea. However, during World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving them with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India which produced black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking predominantly black tea.
Most sweet tea recipes are very simple, requiring you to do just as the definition of sweet tea above suggests. Here is one, from Alton Brown of the Food Network, that is just abit different, but sounds yummy. He suggests adding a simple sugar syrup, rather than sugar, and I do that too, in my own iced tea - it adds a certain richness. My syrup is not as sweet as he recommends - for one pitcher of iced tea, I use 1/2 c water and dissolve 1/3 c sugar in it. Experiment and see what you like the best!
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Infuse loose tea into hot water for 4 to 5 minutes. Strain tea into room temperature water. Sweeten with simple syrup if desired.
For simple syrup, in a small non-reactive pot combine 5 cups of sugar and 3 cups of cold water. Slowly bring to a boil and add 6 sliced lemons and a few sprigs of fresh mint. Remove from heat. Allow to cool 10 minutes and strain.
Posted at 03:43 AM in recipe, sweet tea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)






