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perfect Summertime Ice Tea |
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Perfect
Brewed Iced Tea Black, Green and Oolong teas come from the same
plant - Camellia sinensis - which is grown in lush climates
around the world. The difference? Black and Oolong teas undergo
a natural fermentation step. Green tea does not. Tea is a great
source of antioxidants which help neutralize "free radicals",
molecules that can damage cells. So drink to your health!
Ingrediants:
4 regular tea bags
2 cups fresh cold water
Ice cubes
Water
Sugar or other sweetner such as Simple syrup
Lemon slices (optional)
Directions:
Unwrap (if necessary) and carefully slide off any paper attached
to the strings of the tea bags; tie the strings together and
place the bags in a heat-proof 2-quart pitcher.
Bring 2 cups fresh cold water to a rapid boil. Remove from heat
and immediately pour over the tea bags. Allow tea to steep for
20 minutes or more.
(This process simply forms the "concentrate". You
can store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.)
Remove tea bags, squeeze out excess liquid (being careful to
not break open the bags) and discard. Fill the pitcher with
enough water to equal 2-quarts. Cover and refrigerate until
well chilled before serving. Or to serve iced tea immediately,
add a dozen or so ice cubes to tea concentrate then fill with
water to the 2-quart level.
To serve, pour tea over lots of ice cubes in a tall glass, stirring
in desired sweetening and a squeeze of lemon, as desired.
Serves 8.
Flavor
Variation: Add 1 flavored tea bag such as
Ginger Peach, Blackberry Sage, Vanilla Almond, etc. along with
either the orange pekoe or green tea for a refreshing change.
*If using loose tea, measure 2 tablespoons into a paper coffee
filter and seal it tightly with a twist tie, or simply pour
water over loose leaves in a small heatproof container, and
when ready separate the liquid from the tea leaves using a strainer.
Makes 2 quarts. |
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Old
Fashioned Natural Lemonade
Makes about 8 cups |
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Ingrediants:
8 large Fresh lemons (1-1/2 cups)
1 large lemon cut into small wedges or thin cartwheel slices
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
5 cups fresh water
Freshly made ice cubes
Directions:
In a large pitcher, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice,
granulated sugar and 2 cups of cold water; stir briskly to
dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir
briskly again.
You can substitute honey for the sugar. |
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Ingrediants:
2 cups sugar
9 cups water
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup cranberry juice
Directions:
Mix everything in a
pitcher and stir
until dissolved.
Serve lemonade over ice. |
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