Tea...Ice It and Enjoy!

Pitcher of iced tea with lemon and glass of iced tea

Judy Dodd, MS, RD, LDN, Giant Eagle^® Corporate Nutritionist

One step up from the refreshment of water is a frosty glass of iced tea. It is a seasonless drink, although it does refresh you in the heat of the sun! And along with its refreshing powers, iced tea offers some potential nutrition benefits. Tea is considered to be a source of antioxidants known as polyphenols, which are thought to benefit cholesterol health. No matter what the weather, our iced tea guide will inspire you to try new takes on old favorites.

Iced tea inspirations
Brewing basics
New flavor ideas

Iced tea inspirations

To make a perfect glass of iced tea, start with your favorite brewed tea. You have several choices:

Green tea is made from fresh leaves that have been chopped, rolled and quickly steamed. This preparation method preserves the color and spares the antioxidants.
Black tea is the most popular type of tea. The fresh leaves are exposed to air to dry, and the leaves naturally turn a deep red-brown color, giving this tea its name. Most of the polyphenols are oxidized.
Oolong tea is partly fermented before it is dried.

Brewing basics

Brewing and steeping tea is easy. Follow the basic guidelines below:

Start with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil.
Let the water cool for one minute and then add the tea. Allow the tea to steep for three to five minutes.
Remove the tea bags or strain the tea to remove any loose tea leaves.
Pour your tea over ice or chill it in a pitcher (in the refrigerator).
If allowed to steep too long, your tea is likely to become bitter and cloudy. However, steep your tea less than three minutes and you have the equivalent of colored water!

New flavor ideas

Add fruit or juices and you'll add nutrition benefits as well as new flavors to your tea. Fresh lemon or lime wedges or sprigs of mint are classic. If you're feeling more adventurous, try one of these ideas:

Use brewed tea in place of water to reconstitute frozen juices.
For a quick iced tea-flavored punch, combine equal parts of frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrates and use iced tea instead of water.
Add some frozen or fresh strawberries or raspberries for added color.
Combine equal parts brewed tea and white grape, pomegranate or apple juice. For additional flavor, add a dash of ground cinnamon or ginger and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.
Create a smoothie by using iced tea instead of fruit juice in your favorite recipe. Or, blend cold tea with sliced fresh or canned peaches and some vanilla yogurt. Sweeten as desired. Add a touch of ground ginger for a ginger-peachy refresher.
Try adding honey or brown sugar to tea to sweeten it.
Crush mint leaves and combine them with lime juice and your favorite sweetener for a lime cooler.
Make a "half-and-half" by combining equal parts lemonade and iced tea.
Brew your iced tea with cinnamon sticks, or make vanilla tea by adding a dash of vanilla extract to the cooled tea.
Keep tea simple but make it special with a fruit kabob garnish. Use a straw as a skewer to hold cubes or pieces of melon, pineapple and strawberries, and present your elegant tea at a gathering.

Concerned about caffeine? Most tea contains some caffeine. Black, green and oolong provide about 40 milligrams of caffeine per an eight-ounce serving (when steeped for three to five minutes). This is lower than the 100 milligrams of caffeine in eight ounces of drip method-brewed coffee. Decaffeinated and herbal teas without caffeine are also available.