Who doesn’t love homemade ice lemon tea sweetened with honey on a hot summer day! A tall glass of sweet iced tea is totally refreshing and a perfect thirst-quencher.
Some of you might be wondering why the heck am I posting all drinks recipes off late! Well as the weather gets warmer and kids are out of school, you and your family will be out and would be trying so many new recipes.
While you are out there trying something different every time, we thought we’ll help you with something new and something different.
And drinks like this will make you enjoy warm weather by sipping in these refreshing summer drinks. Either in the form of watermelon smoothie, or perfect summer watermelon margaritas or in the form of your favorite watermelon mojitos, and if nothing else, as lemon iced tea.
For all you tea lovers, nothing can be more refreshing than iced tea. It’s so easy to make, you need to make a pitcher full and keep it ready in your refrigerator. Because you would want to sip this tea all day long.
It’s also perfect way to greet your afternoon guests or as a thirst quencher on a hot day.
While I like my tea relatively mild, my husband likes a tea that is steeped longer to make a stronger tea. How do you like your tea? Strong or mild?
Every Southerner has own in-house recipe for sweet tea. Everybody in the south knows how to make sweet tea and it’s their pride and culture. A tradition in the South But not everywhere in the world is sweet tea a common thing. Some might even get baffled with the idea of sweet tea!
Usually sweet tea is made with sugar for perfect sweetness, we are adding a twist to the iced tea recipe by replacing sugar with honey. Calling it somewhat healthier version of sweet tea.
A perfect sweet ice lemon tea should have the right mix of sugar to tea. And the tea shouldn’t be grainy. And about the taste – absolutely delicious and refreshing. You will get the real taste of tea and real lemon not just sweet. That’s exactly how an lemon iced tea recipe should taste to me.
But if you like strong tea taste add more tea bags for stronger flavor.
Pro-Tip: Try not to steep any longer than 15 minutes or the tea will turn bitter. And if you don’t like too much sweetness in your cold tea recipe, you can make simple syrup and leave it on the side of the pitcher.
So your guests can add as much sweetness as they need with simple syrup. You see not everyone has the same palate for sweet. Some like it mildly sweet, some like it too much sweetness. Allow your guests to make it the way they like it.
Why Make Ice Lemon Tea
- It’s summertime! The weather is warm outside and you need something cool to beat the heat.
- If you are tea lover and you’re missing drinking tea due to hot weather outside, make cool iced tea. Your tea cravings are satisfied!
- This drink will be a hit among both kids and adults.
- For more adults beverage, add a dash of to the tea and for more kid friendly drink, you can add in fruits like peaches, mangoes to the tea.
- Even kids can make this drink. Let them help you with this drink if you are held up with other things.
- Fresh homemade lemon iced tea has your favorite tea taste and the fresh vibrant flavors of lemon giving it a wonderful mix of lemonade and tea. The best of the 2 worlds together in one drink.
- Ice lemon tea can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. It can stay for upto 5 days to a week in fridge.
- Tip: If you plan to store iced tea for that long, add a pinch of baking soda to boiling water before adding in tea bags. This will help the tea from turning into funky taste by removing the bitterness in the tea.
What Goes In Ice Lemon Tea
Making iced tea at home is real simple. You probably have all the ingredients needed to make your own version of iced tea. This is what you need –
5-8 Tea Bags (black or green or any other flavored tea bags)
1 quart Water
1 cup honey or sugar or make simple syrup
4 lemon juice
2 lemon – sliced
Ice Cubes
Makes 4 Cups
How To Make The Best Iced Lemon Tea
Bring 1 quartz of water to boil in a sauce pan.
Add about 5 to 8 black tea bags (or green tea bags) into a glass pitcher.
Pour boiling water into the pitcher with tea bags.
Note: You can also add in sugar into the pitcher, pour boiling water stir it well and then add tea bags.
Pro-Tip: if your going to leave your tea stand in the fridge or on the counter for long time, it will start tasting funky. Add a pinch of baking soda into boiling water before adding in tea bags to retain it’s smooth taste. Baking soda takes out any bitterness in the tea.
Let tea bags sit in the pitcher with boiling hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Note : Do NOT steep tea any longer than that. The tea will turn bitter.
Now remove tea bags from the pitcher.
Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweetener – either sugar or honey or simply syrup.
Let it sit in fridge.
When ready to serve, pour it over ice cubes into a glass. Check for taste and adjust if it needs more sweetness by adding in more simply syrup or honey. A few slices of lemon in the glass along with ice cubes brings out fresh lemon flavors. Optional step, but I would recommend it.
Pro-Tip: Do not mix in chilled water or ice cubes into tea concentrate before/while storing. This will water down(thin down) your tea. Directly pour it into glasses filled with ice cubes. You will get the real taste of tea (not watered down tea) and real lemon not just sweet water.
Tips To Make Best Homemade Ice Lemon Tea Recipe
Tea Quality : Your iced tea is only as good as your tea. Buy premium quality tea.
Tea Blends: If you don’t like black tea, feel free to use green tea bags instead or simply any other tea blends you may like to use.
Easy Handling : Use tea bags for easy handling. 1 less sauce pan to clean if using tea leaves to boil tea.
Easy Storing : Use glass pitcher (heat proof) to steep tea. Al so once tea is ready, you can simply leave the tea in the same pitcher and store it in fridge.
Adjust Taste : If you like strong tea taste add more tea bags for stronger flavor instead of opting for longer steeping time. If you steep tea for longer than 15 minutes, it will turn bitter. If you like mild tea flavors, add less tea bags and steep for about 10 minutes.
Adjust Sweetness : If you don’t like too much sweetness in your cold tea recipe, you can adjust the sugar content accordingly.
Or
Make simple syrup and leave it to your guests or family to decide how much sweetness as they need with simple syrup.
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Honey Sweetened Ice Lemon Tea
Ingredients
- 5-8 Tea Bags black or green or any other flavoured tea bags
- 1 quart Water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda optional – use it if storing iced tea for longer time
- 1 cup honey or sugar or make simple syrup
- 4 lemon juice
- 2 lemon – sliced
- Ice Cubes
Instructions
- Bring 1 quartz of water to boil in a sauce pan.
- Add about 5 to 8 black tea bags (or green tea bags) into a glass pitcher.
- Pour boiling water into the pitcher with tea bags.
- Note: You can also add in sugar into the pitcher, pour boiling water stir it well and then add tea bags.
- Pro-Tip: if your going to leave your tea stand in the fridge or on the counter for long time, it will start tasting funky. Add a pinch of baking soda into boiling water before adding in tea bags to retain it’s smooth taste. Baking soda takes out any bitterness in the tea.
- Let tea bags sit in the pitcher with boiling hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Note : Do NOT steep tea any longer than that. The tea will turn bitter.
- Now remove tea bags from the pitcher.
- Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweetener – either sugar or honey or simply syrup.
- Let it sit in fridge.
- When ready to serve, pour it over ice cubes into a glass. Check for taste and adjust if it needs more sweetness by adding in more simply syrup or honey. A few slices of lemon in the glass along with ice cubes brings out fresh lemon flavors. Optional step, but I would recommend it.
- Pro-Tip: Do not mix in chilled water or ice cubes into tea concentrate before/while storing. This will water down(thin down) your tea. Directly pour it into glasses filled with ice cubes. You will get the real taste of tea (not watered down tea) and real lemon not just sweet water.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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GUNJAN C Dudani
I am generally fond of iced tea. My preference is always with some citrus flavor. This combination of honey and lemon in the iced tea is absolutely inviting and I am definitely making this for myself.
jyothirajesh
Thank you
Leslie
We are a big tea drinking family in the summer! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
jyothirajesh
You’ll love this for sure. Best way to quench the thirst
Danielle
You are absolutely right – who doesn’t! Tea is such a great drink to calm down and think over something for a minute or two. It is also great to greet someone coming over. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
jyothirajesh
Thank you Danielle
Cheese Curd In Paradise
I love iced tea and can’t wait to try this recipe. Great tip on using the baking soda to keep things fresh!
jyothirajesh
Thank you