There are few things as refreshing as a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea on a hot day. Which is why it's a good idea to know how to make a batch at home — this way, if you're a big iced tea lover, you'll save yourself money and be able to customize it to your liking. However, after making it the first time, you may have found that it was underwhelming or didn't taste as good as it does when you order it at a café.
To find out the most common mistakes that are behind lackluster homemade iced teas, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: Jordan G.L. Hardin , director of food and beverage at Alfred .
The first common mistake is a simple one — using bad water when making iced tea. Hardin explains: "Tea is 99% water, so if your water tastes off, so will your tea." He suggests using either spring water or water that has been filtered well.
Hardin notes that many people don't think to use high quality water because they're making iced tea in big batches, so it's easier to use tap water straight from the sink. Hardin adds, "But if you use unfiltered tap water, your tea will likely taste of tap water." Don't be stingy with the tea According to Jordan G.
L. Hardin, the next big mistake most people make when brewing iced tea is not using enough tea. Hardin says, " The way you boost the delicious flavor of any given tea you're brewing is not to steep it longer, but to use more tea.
Steeping tea longer extracts more bitterness, whereas using more tea adds more flavor." When it comes to te.