Lemon Iced Tea
لیمن آئسڈ ٹی
Iced tea is a cold, lightly sweet drink of brewed black tea, lemon and mint, and a far fresher choice than bottled versions for summer afternoons and iftar tables. It is made in a jug and keeps in the fridge, so one batch serves the whole family. The two things that make it work are steeping the tea for only a few minutes, so it stays smooth rather than bitter, and letting it cool fully before chilling, so it stays clear.
- ⏱ Total: 20 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Bring the brewing water to a full boil in a over high heat.
Turn off the heat, add the tea leaves and let them steep for 4–5 minutes, until the tea is a deep amber. Do not boil the leaves or leave them longer.
Strain out the leaves and stir in the sugar while the tea is still hot, until fully dissolved.
Leave the tea to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Putting it in the fridge while hot makes it cloudy.
Pour the cooled tea into a jug and add the cold water, lemon juice, lemon slices and mint leaves. Stir well.
Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour so the lemon and mint flavour the tea.
Fill glasses with ice, pour the iced tea over and serve with a lemon slice and a mint leaf.
Kitchen notes
Steep for no more than 5 minutes. Over-steeped tea turns bitter, and the bitterness gets stronger once the tea is cold.
Dissolve the sugar while the tea is hot. Sugar stirred into cold tea sinks to the bottom and never fully mixes in.
Remove the lemon slices after 4–5 hours if you are keeping the jug overnight, otherwise the peel makes the tea bitter.
A summer jug for the fridge
Iced tea started in the United States and is now a familiar café drink in Pakistan, sold in bottles and cans in every corner shop. Making it at home takes a few minutes of active work, costs far less, and lets you control the sugar. A jug of lemon iced tea in the fridge is handy through the long Pakistani summer, for guests, for afternoon thirst, and for iftar in hot Ramadan months alongside the usual sharbat and lemonade.
Brewing for a clear, smooth tea
Black tea for iced tea is brewed differently from chai. The leaves are not boiled; they are steeped in water that has just come off the boil, for 4 to 5 minutes. Longer steeping extracts tannins that taste harsh and dry, and cold temperatures make that harshness more noticeable. Sugar goes in while the tea is hot so it dissolves completely. Then comes patience: leaving the tea to reach room temperature before it goes into the fridge keeps it clear and amber instead of murky.
Lemon, peach and other flavours
- Peach iced tea: stir in a purée of 2 ripe peaches (see the FAQ). Peaches are in season in Swat and the northern areas through the summer.
- Mint lemon iced tea: double the mint and bruise the leaves lightly before adding them.
- Less sugar: start with 3 tablespoons and add more once chilled, or sweeten with honey dissolved in the warm tea.
- Green iced tea: use green tea, steeped for only 2 to 3 minutes in water just off the boil.
Serving and storing
Serve in tall glasses packed with ice, with a lemon slice on the rim. Keep the jug covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, taking the lemon slices out after a few hours so the peel does not turn it bitter.
Questions people ask
Why does my iced tea turn cloudy?
Cloudiness happens when hot, strong tea is chilled too quickly, or when it is steeped too long. Let it cool on the counter first, and steep for only 4 to 5 minutes.
How do I make peach iced tea?
Blend 2 ripe, peeled peaches with a little of the cooled tea, strain, and stir the purée into the jug in place of half the lemon juice. Canned peaches with a spoon of their syrup also work.
How long does homemade iced tea keep?
Up to 3 days in a covered jug in the fridge. It tastes freshest on the first day; add fresh mint before serving if it has been stored.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 55
- Protein
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
