a list of recipes > Luzianne® Iced Tea

Luzianne® Iced Tea

Luzianne brand tea is my favorite national brand tea. It makes a pleasant, light and flavorful Ice Tea. I have included this recipe to enable consistently delicious results.

There are two important factors when brewing a nicely flavored ice tea.
  1. Do not steep the tea in boiling water. The excessive heat will extract bitterness.
  2. Let the bags steep in the hot water no longer than recommended. Extended soak time darkens the flavor in a way that makes the tea taste stale.
The option ingredients are common acid powders. Citric acid adds a bright, crisp tartness. It also reacts with the tannins in black tea, reducing bitterness and astringency. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) helps preserve tea's natural flavonoids and antioxidants, making them more stable.

Tea naturally oxidizes and turns brown or cloudy as it sits. Adding acid stabilizes the compounds and keeps the liquid looking fresh and clear. By lowering the pH of the water, these acids hinder the growth of bacteria and slow down staleness.

The flavor of the sugar becomes apparent somewhere between the use of 1/8th of a cup and 1/4 of a cup of sugar. My goal is to use just enough to hint that the sugar is there, but not enough that the taste of sugar seems obvious. I want the sweetness to support the character of the tea, and not overshadow the teas natural fragrance.

Ingredients for a 64 ounce pitcher:

Optional Ingredients for a 64 ounce pitcher:

Preparation:

Boil the first quart of water. Bring it to a rolling boil, then remove it from heat and wait until the boil calms.

Drop two Family Size tea bags into the water, make sure they are saturated and begin to submerge. Let the bags steep in the water between 3 to 5 minutes. Do not leave the bags in any longer than 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard them.

Add the sugar to the hot tea, and stir it so it dissolves.

Option: Add the Citric Acid to the hot tea, and stir it so it dissolves.

Place the 4 cups of ice or cold water in a 64 ounce pitcher, and pour the hot tea in with it.

Option: Add the Ascorbic Acid to the cold tea, and stir it so it dissolves.

Store the pitcher of tea in the refrigerator and serve when desired.