Fall in Love with Infused Iced Tea

Check out these six infused iced tea recipes this fall.

There’s nothing more refreshing than a tall glass of iced tea on the back patio. Enjoy the last few warm days of the fall season by kicking up your tea game with these infusions.

Perfect the Technique

First, hone your tea-brewing technique:

If you’re feeling fancy …

If you’re making tea from loose leaves, the Art of Tea suggests one teaspoon or one tablespoon (depending on the type of tea) for every eight ounces of water. Translate that to a two-quart pitcher and use eight level teaspoons for fine teas or eight heaping tablespoons for fuller teas.

If you’d rather just buy it in a box …

If you’re making tea with bagged tea (which there’s nothing wrong with, thank you very much), Country Living Magazine suggests a ratio of four to six tea bags per two-quart pitcher of hot water.

Steep for three to five minutes, or less if you’re making white tea.

Thyme for Peaches

Let’s start with this peach thyme syrup from Oh My Veggies. Oh. My. Gawd.

Begin with three peaches, a half-cup of granulated sugar and sprigs of fresh thyme. Put them all in a saucepan together and turn up the heat until they boil. Stir frequently so the sugar doesn’t burn. Smash the peaches a bit with the back of a wooden spoon to really get that flavor. The mixture should be on the stove for about 30 minutes. Strain the syrup into a cup or bowl — a coffee filter works great for this.

Then comes the tea. Make up a batch of good ol’ fashioned black tea. When the tea is done steeping, but while it’s still hot, add one-to-three tablespoons of syrup to the pitcher. Taste it as you add to make sure you don’t over-sweeten. It’s easier to add more than have to remake. Stir until it dissolves.

Check out these ginger honey ice cubes to serve with it.

Lavender and Lemonade

Enjoy the turning trees and kick up your feet on the back porch with this recipe from Red Rose Tea.

Boil one quart of water. Once boiling, add four Earl Grey tea bags and one-and-a-half teaspoons of dried lavender buds. You can get these in the spice section at your local health food market. Let the tea and lavender steep for about five minutes and turn off the heat.

Strain out the lavender buds (a coffee filter works for this too) and remove the tea bags from the mix. Stir in honey to sweeten and serve over ice.

If you want an extra kick, add a quarter cup of lemonade to your glass and garnish with a lemon slice.

(Excerpted with permission from Red Rose Tea.)

Here Comes the Sun

The weather might be approaching crisp, but it’s not too late to infuse tea with a little sunshine. Place six to eight tea bags in two quarts of water. This works for many types of tea and in many different containers, though your best bet is classic black tea in a glass pitcher or large mason jar. Place it outside in the sun for the day — at least eight hours. The warmth from the sun will slowly steep the tea and it’ll be ready for you by dinner.

Sweeten as you like and serve with ice.

Mint Condition

You can make this recipe, adapted from the Neighborfood, on the stovetop or with an iced-tea maker.

For the stovetop version, boil about a gallon of water in a large pot. Make your own mint bags by divvying up fresh mint among three coffee filters and tying them off with rubber bands. Once the water has hit the boiling point, turn it off and let the mint steep for 10 minutes. Add the teabag and steep for an additional five. Sweeten to taste and cool in the fridge.

Serve over crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs.

A Crush on Tequila

First, make a hibiscus tea concentrate with water, dried hibiscus flowers and whatever you prefer to sweeten with. Strain the mixture. This will act as your base. Then, mix up that margarita! You’ll need ice cubes, your just-made tea concentrate, lime juice, tequila and agave.

Dana, over at Minimalist Baker has this one down to tequila science perfection. Check out her full recipe here.

Cold Brew, Too

Cold-brew coffee, made popular by artisan coffeehouses and small-town roasters, gets all the cold-brew credit. But cold-brew tea shouldn’t be overshadowed! Cold-brewing tea takes patience, but it also makes for a smoother, less bitter glass. Cook Eat Paleo provides some tips for brewing cold tea. Use lemon slices and fresh mint to infuse this fall favorite.

Sip and enjoy!