At the height of summer, nothing beats sipping on an icy glass of cold brew herbal tea to relax and recharge after an exhausting day of heat and sun. But many don’t realize they can make their own homemade version from just a few simple ingredients! We will show you how to craft an easy batch using an accessible tea pitcher with built-in infuser; and learn about adding herbs and fruits for flavor and nutrition benefits.
Cold Brew Herbal Tea While any type of tea can be cold brewed using this method, certain varieties lend themselves more naturally than others to this iced beverage. Fruit-forward varieties often make an excellent iced beverage because their vibrant flavors pair nicely without needing milk or sweeteners to enhance them. Green, white and oolong teas also work wonderfully as refreshing iced beverages – whether on their own or incorporated into an iced latte recipe!
Cold brewing involves immersing loose tea leaves in chilled water for an extended period. This method of steeping is forgiving as you don’t need to worry about oversteeping; allow the tea to steep for several hours up to overnight if possible; however it should be noted that too long of a steep can cause bitter and astringent flavors to emerge in your tea!
Cold brewing allows you to control the amount of caffeine present in each cup. Since caffeine dissolves more readily into hot water than cold, when using cold water to brew your tea you will end up with roughly half as much caffeine than with hot brewed tea.
Cold brew tea can help reduce caffeine intake in your diet while still enjoying some of your favorite teas with friends, family or coworkers who might be sensitive to its effects. It also makes an excellent iced beverage!
Cold brew herbal tea can be made using any variety of tea leaves, from green, black and oolong varieties. Mix and match these various teas to create your own signature blend! Be careful when steeping herbs that require high boiling temperatures because cold steeping may increase their risk of burning.
Sweeten your cold brew herbal tea using natural ingredients, such as fruit syrups, honey or simple syrup. Since this brewing method uses cold water, hard sugars may not dissolve well and you might like adding slices of fresh fruits for color and extra flavor. However, to prevent spoilage issues it is best to consume your cold brew within about one week after creating it and store in the fridge.