How do you make Iced Tea?

In the height of summer, it truly doesn’t get any better than spending an afternoon in the garden with a cool jug of homemade iced tea. This simple and refreshing drink is the perfect companion on any warm day and tastes even better when made from scratch.

The best thing about iced tea is that you can completely adapt the flavours, so no matter your guests’ tastes, you can brew up the perfect batch of iced tea that everyone will love.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade iced tea, here you will learn how to make a range of flavours and the ultimate HelloFresh recipes to pair with this refreshing drink during summer.

How do you make iced tea?

Iced tea is one of the simplest drinks to make and can be completely tailored to your own tastes, with a variety of fruity flavours.

How to make peach iced tea

Ingredients:

• 200g granulated sugar
• 5 peaches
• 4 tea bags
• 250ml water
• Ice

1. Mix the sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil until the sugar completely dissolves.
2. Add slices of peach to the pan until they soften, then remove from the heat and mash the mixture into to a paste.
3. Leave the peach mixture to infuse with flavour for around an hour.
4. Strain the mixture through a sieve to make a syrup. Meanwhile, brew a jug of tea and leave it to cool. Stir the cooled tea and syrup together and serve with ice.

How to make lemon iced tea

Ingredients:

• 6 black tea bags
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 lemons
• 1 orange
• A small bunch mint
• Ice

1. Brew the tea in a jug with sugar and honey.
2. Leave to steep for around 10 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bags and leave the mixture to chill.
4. Serve by adding in juice from the lemons and orange, and fresh mint. Stir well and add a generous amount of ice.

Origins of iced tea

There are many accounts of the first traces of iced tea throughout history. One of the most commonplace origin stories suggests that the iced tea we know and love today, originated in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair. It was here that tea merchant Richard Blechynden was doing his rounds promoting black teas of Ceylon and India, during a heatwave. Blechynden’s teas were attracting little to no interest, so in a desperate attempt to gain attention he poured his hot tea over ice, and thus iced tea was born.

What to serve with iced tea

Recipe development expert, Mimi Morley, is a big fan of iced tea and suggests that its flavours can enhance your meal experience. Mimi suggests that iced tea is the perfect addition to any summer party or barbecue, as it perfectly complements a host of savoury and sweet meal options. In particular, Mimi explains that it works well alongside hearty and greasy foods such as burgers or hot dogs. The sweetness of a fruity iced tea nicely cuts through meat flavours, to give a refreshing combination.

Recipe to serve with iced tea

HelloFresh has a huge range of summer meals that pair really well with fresh, homemade iced tea. Whether you’re hosting a small summer gathering or preparing some midweek meals in a heatwave, iced tea is always a good pairing. Some recommendations include:

• Cheesy BBQ Pork Burger with Wedges and Rocket & Apple Salad
• Black Bean Salad with Barbecue Chicken
• Barbecue Chicken Sarnie with Dressed Baby Gem and Sweet Potato Fries

HelloFresh also has a host of diverse dishes that can be made quickly and easily, any night of the week. Order your first box of HelloFresh today and get summer off to a tasty start.