Saturday, July 31, 2010

SOUTHERN-STYLE ICE TEA - THÉ FROID

Ice tea Picnik-Collage 3 bis bis
When I was a teenager in the 90's "Ice Tea" was really very trendy. Switzerland had discovered this beverage at the end of the 80's, but it was only a few years later that it got extremely popular...

I remember that "Ice Tea"
(here, herbal iced teas - peppermint or alpine herbs - are also labeled as "Ice Tea" - not only the black tea or green tea versions) was the only thing that kids drank (together with Coke, of course - I never loved that drink though) and I was no exception to the rule. At home, we stocked gallons of that beverage (bought in Migros only - my favorite brand). If all cartons disappeared and no "Ice Tea" was left, then you could have been sure that I would make real tantrum. My worst nightmare (LOL). I was so addicted to it that I could not drink anything else. Of course, ingesting so much sugar (so many calories) on a daily basis cannot be good for your body and I believe it is one of the reasons (this and eating a little too well) why I got a little "stocky" (baby fat) when I was 16-18 years old (thankfully it is not the case now anymore, phew).

At this time, certain countries like France or England didn't know what commercial "Ice Tea" was. Once, in Annecy, at a tea room I ordered an "Ice Tea" naively thinking that they were going to get it out of either a carton or a bottle, but to my big surprise the waiter looked at me with big suprised eyes as if I had asked for the most exotic of drinks! He asked me what I meant and I explained what it was. So after a while he came back with a freshly brewed glass of "Ice Tea" that the bartender had made specially for me. It was the most delightful "Ice Tea"I ever had. They had even added a ball of homemade lemon sorbet to it. Fantastic! This little adventure still makes me laugh...

My love for "Ice Tea" has not died, but my I am no longer a fan of the bought kind and I drink lots of water now. My tastes have changed since I have grown older. Industrial "Ice Tea" does not please me anymore. I find it far too sweet, bland, unhealthy and chemical. As my grownup tastebuds demand quality foods, I resolved myself to making my own "Ice Tea". In that way, all my needs and craving can be fulfilled.

After having tested different brands of black teas, I have come to the conclusion that the best one to use when preparing "Ice Tea" is Lipton. Although it is far from being my favorite black tea for making a good cuppa (Twinnings or Palais des Thés black teas are far better as they have more character and are more complex - a totally different class of teas), Lipton "Yellow Label" is perfect when used for making "Ice Tea" as it's not too strong and has light aromas.

I always use a lot of lemon juice and rind to add some character to the brew which would be too boring without that gorgeous citrusy touch. Then I sweeten it with a little light brown sugar and light runny honey in order to give more deepness to my "Ice Tea". Finally, I always integrate a little lemon essence to that drink as it brings an extra lemony kick and freshness to it.

The recipe I am posting today is mine. I tested many different variations and experimented a lot before I found that perfect combination. My "Ice Tea" is neither too sweet, to strong nor insipid. The acidity of the lemons counterbalances wonderfully the sugariness of the sugar and honey, and the exhalirating fragrance of the essence just lifts up the whole flavor in a delightful way. So refreshing and delicious!


Ice Tea Picnik-Collage 1 bis
~ SOUTHERN-STYLE ICE TEA ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes about 2.8 litres ice tea.

Ingredients:

3 Bags Black tea (I used Lipton "Yellow Label")
2.6 Litres Water
220-240ml Lemon juice (organic/about 2 lemons)
The zest of 1 Organic lemon
5 Tbs Light brown sugar
4 Tbs Runny Honey
1/3 Tsp Natural lemon essence

Method:
1. Heat water in a big pan and bring to a light boil.
2. Add the tea bags and let infuse for about 8-10 minutes, then dispose of the bags.
3. Add the rind of one lemon, the sugar, honey and essence. Stir well until the honey and sugar are dissolved.
4. Let cool completely.
5. Sieve the preparation.
6. Put the jugs in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours or until cold.
7. Serve.

Ice Tea Picnik-Collage 5 bis
Remarks:
Don't let the tea infuse for too long or the ice tea will have a bitter taste.
If you find that the ice tea is not sweet enough, then feel free to add a little more sugar or if it is too sweet then add a little water.

Serving suggestions:
Serve at any time of the day or night with ice cubes and slices of lemon or add a ball lemon sorbet to the ice tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ice Tea Picnik-Collage 2 bis
~ THÉ FROID US ~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour environ 2.8 litres de thé froid.



Ingrédients:

3 Sachets de thé noir (j'ai utilisé du Lipton "Yellow Label")
2.6 Litres d'Eau
220-240ml de Jus de citron bios (~2 citrons)
Le zeste d'un citron bio

5 CS de Sucre brun clair
4 CS de Miel liquide
1/3 CC d'Extrait naturel de citron

Ice Tea Picnik-Collage 4 bis
Méthode:
1. Porter l'eau à ébullition (petit bouillons).
2. Ajouter les sachets de thé et laisser infuser 8 à 10 minutes, puis retirer les sachets.
3. Ajouter le zeste, le jus de citron, le sucre, le miel et l'extrait de citron. Bien mélanger afin que le sucre et le miel soient dissouts.
4. Laisser refroidir complètement.
5. Passer au tamis.
6. Transférer dans un pot et mettre au frigo au moins 2 à 3 heures ou jusqu'à ce que le thé froid soit froid.
7. Servir.

Remarques:
Ne laissez pas le thé infuser trop longtemps autrement votre thé froid aura un goût amer.
Si vous trouvez que le thé n'est pas assez sucré alors vous pouvez ajouter soit du sucre ou du miel et si, au contraire, vous le trouvez trop sucré, alors ajoutez un peu d'eau.


Idées de présentation:
Servir ce thé froid à n'importe quelle heure de la journée ou de la nuit avec des glaçons et une tranche de citron ou avec une boule de sorbet au citron.

Ice Tea Picnik-Collage 6 bis

91 comments:

  1. Il a une couleur magnifique !
    Bisous

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the colours of your photos! looks so fresh!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tes images sont comme toujours: Magnifiques!!

    Je prend une belle gorgée au passage et je te souhaite un bo week~end ma belle Rosa xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never tasted Iced Tea. It always conjures up images of Southern Belles sipping it in the shade of a veranda on a hot afternoon. Your pics as always are gorgeous. Fabulous colours.

    ReplyDelete
  5. that iced tea looks really refreshing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. magnificent photos,the ice tea post is so beautiful!i'm love in it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. une boule de sorbet citron dans le the froid ?
    Adopte !

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is definitely the perfect thing to drink when it's hot outside! Your pictures make me want a tall glass right now! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love iced tea! They even sell it as Starbucks and many of the other coffee shops in the heat of the summer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Superbes tes photos! Tellement que je n'avais pas soif à mon arrivée et que maintenant, j'ai qu'une envie, c'est de boire une gorgée de ton thé froid qui semble vraiment rafraîchissant!

    Bon week-end!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sweet iced tea is a huge, southern US thing. It's everywhere. I love the thought of iced tea with lemon sorbet in it! Your tea look like a perfect summer drink.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ice tea sounds refreshing, love combination of honey and lemon.

    Your photographs are beautiful Rosa, Love those colorful flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  13. non puo' mai mancare un buon bicchiere fresco di thè durante l'estate, é l'emblema dell'estate, provero' volentieri la tua versione colorata di sole :)

    Buon sabato^^

    ReplyDelete
  14. I don't usually drink iced tea, but yours looks and sounds so refreshing and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  15. sounds great! i'm not much into tea but i like ice tea and this sounds super yum! <3

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the honey especially, lovely photos as always

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is a great looking ice tea, love those cute flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Il a l'air excellent ce thé froid!!
    Très agréable de ce temps!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Merci, j'vais l'faire ! Tes photos sont supers jolies et donnent envie de se désaltérer !

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great clicks and a refreshing tea Rosa!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow! Making your own Iced Tea is really good, nice to have a few information about the Iced Tea with your own sweet memories:-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Magnificent colour and very refreshing.
    Lovely photos ♥

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a nice and easy recipe. It looks perfect for these hot summer days.
    Iffet

    ReplyDelete
  24. We've been making a lot of mint tea, using the mint we are growing in the garden. This tea recipe looks so good.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Rosa! My mother lives in the southern United States and its in this region they make a superior Ice Tea, but they really call it sweet tea! more difficult to find in the north part of the United states. I'm really happy you did this post it's a really delicious and refreshing drink for the summer! My mother sweetens the tea with fresh peaches which are in season now!
    Thank Rosa!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I like the idea of iced tea but have never really made it myself. I'll definitely give your recipe a try.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Rosa we love this at home! we love Ice Tea, look nice. and...love your photos! xxgloria

    ReplyDelete
  28. What an interesting account of the various types of iced tea, Rosa. I think I've always been familiar with the type you have here, though I like it more or less depending on how each restaurant makes it. Of course now I have your tested and approved recipe to make it more cheaply and likely healthily at home. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sounds like some perfectly refreshing drinks for these warm summer days.

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a great recipe Rosa! Looks so fresh and not too sweet! I've bookmarked this for when it gets hotter here! Love your pics too!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Adore the story...

    love the tea...

    I'm going to try your method with a sprinkling of apple mint leaves as a crown. What do you think Rosa?

    Thank you so much for sharing. May I ask what the name of that first flower is? It's simply lovely...

    ReplyDelete
  32. The tea sounds lovely, and your photos are stunning:)

    ReplyDelete
  33. yum! nothing is as refreshing as a cold glass of tea in the heat of summer!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rosa, now THAT'S the way to make ice tea! I'm from the south and my mother made a similar version. Absolutely lovely.

    I'm still chuckling about the bartender and the iced tea story. That's a good one.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  35. un petit thé froid tres agréable en ce moment !! pierre

    ReplyDelete
  36. The best with this kind of weather.

    ReplyDelete
  37. unbelievable to see, how much of ready prepared icetea is sold in switzerland, whereas it is so easy to prepare it at home. Liebe Grüsse.

    ReplyDelete
  38. rosa ice lemon tea among my favs!! never made my self but definitely gonna give a try of ye recipe.. as you said i also dont prefer the commercially available ice lemon tea!! love the pics as well
    cheers!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. rosa ice lemon tea among my favs!! never made my self but definitely gonna give a try of ye recipe.. as you said i also dont prefer the commercially available ice lemon tea!! love the pics as well
    cheers!!

    ReplyDelete
  40. This is great and easy to make, perfect for hot summer days.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I like the Lipton ice tea too! I flavour it a bit, to reduce the sweet taste it tends to have.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thé froid is really good. You always have amazing pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hy,

    First time here...Fabulous space you have with interesting collection of recipes. Love your way of presentation.
    Am your happy follower now...:)

    Do drop in at my space sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  44. First time here...yummy space you have with wonderful collection of recipes...Am your happy follower now...:)
    Do drop in at my space sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Your photography is superb! The flowers are perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Lemon, brown sugar, and honey: how can this not be delicious! I thought my mom's tea was good but this sounds so delicious and refreshing :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. As someone else commented, in the Southern part of the United States, we call this drink "sweet tea" or "iced tea". Your version is a much more elaborated version of what we drink here, but it sounds amazing! I'm sure the addition of lemon and honey really make this drink bright and lovely.

    I used to be a Lipton-person until a wise fellow from England recommended PJ Tips, and I never turned back. You should try that brand out.

    ReplyDelete
  48. My mom always has a pitcher of ice tea in her fridge. We've never used honey as a sweetener, just granulated sugar. Thanks for sharing a new version of an old, loved recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Je n'étais pas fan d'Ice Tea dans ma jeunesse, mais là, je veux bien me laissée tenter !
    Bonne semaine Rosa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  50. J'imprime la recette. J'ai testé une fois mais sans succès. Une boisson bien rafraîchissante.
    Bises

    ReplyDelete
  51. I am feeling summer just by staring at the picture although it's winter in Sydney.

    ReplyDelete
  52. No question about it. Home made iced tea is definitely the best!

    ReplyDelete
  53. SO gorgeous, Rosa! :-) I love these Ice Tea memories of yours. :-) I never had "real" ice tea until I moved to the Southern US. I had grown up on the boxed variety in Canada and couldn't believe it when they gave me cold tea!!! Now I love it, and make it regularly. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Un plaisir bien frais et coloré comme toute cette page de divines photos, quel plaisir ! Mille bises

    ReplyDelete
  55. Rosa, what a nice ice tea...I always like lemon in my ice tea...honey...so refreshing! The pictures are awesome as always :-)

    ReplyDelete
  56. The brown sugar is a most interesting addition. Looks like a perfect ice tea for the summer.

    ReplyDelete
  57. This tea looks so yummy! It sounds like the perfect picnic tea. Like it was made to be carried in a thermos and carried in a basket :) I will definitely be making it this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Nice clicks, love icetea as well

    ReplyDelete
  59. Lemon ice tea with lemon sorbet! Gosh, that is just so tempting! I can imagine how cooling that was! And yours look great too. Hope you're enjoying your day with your icy cool tea.
    Cheers, kristy

    ReplyDelete
  60. Tes photos sont magnifiques, ça donne envie de partir en vacances et de se poser pour déguster un bon thé glacé !

    ReplyDelete
  61. J'adore ce genre de breuvage fort rafraîchissant!! Tes photos sont Splendides Rosa:))

    Bonne semaine ma belle!!xxx

    ReplyDelete
  62. Rosa...you made me think of the last time I had made iced tea...and imagine...it was actually last summer! I've been concocting so many different types of beverages lately that I had sadly tossed aside one of my favourite classics. I usually put a mix of lime, lemons and maple syrup. Next time, I'll try your version with honey?
    Love your refreshingly captured images...summer times live in your photos!

    Ciao for now and have yourself a memorable week,
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love that your iced tea is very lemony and not over brewed. I too can not tolerate the industrial versions out there. Beautiful post as always! xo

    ReplyDelete
  64. Deliciously refreshing! I am fond of it! Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  65. De si belles photos pour accompagner ce thé glacé! I find that nothing quenches the thirst as well as ice tea and your version sounds just perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Sounds so perfect for a warm day like today! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  67. This sounds a little bit like an Arnold Palmer, which is half iced tea, half lemonade. So yummy! Now I want to go make one!

    ReplyDelete
  68. I agree about store bought iced tea - yuk

    yours looks so yummy

    ReplyDelete
  69. Nous adorons le thé glacé et j'aimerais bien essayer ta méthode. Tes photos sont magnifiques!

    ReplyDelete
  70. Never tried making iced tea at home. Always bought it from the store. Sounds simple and looks terrific!!.

    ReplyDelete
  71. I never can have enough of iced tea (I mean, at least in summer).

    I think we all have a special recipe on how to prepare this drink. I like the addition of lemon essence; something new I must try on my iced tea.

    ReplyDelete
  72. lovely...wow ur iced tea is very much tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Wonderful, love making my own ice tea, and herbal kinds too! I will certainly try it!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Rosa,
    je viens de me promener dans tes photos de la charmante campagne genevoise, et je termine sur ce verre rafraichissant qui me fait tres envie. J'en buvais des litres en italie, de ce the glace maison. maintenant mes enfants sont accros au the glace industriel. Il faut que je leur apprenne a le faire eux meme. je leur montrerai ta recette :)

    ReplyDelete
  75. It certainly looks refreshing and yours photos, OH MY! Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  76. I'm short of words, can only say WOW!
    Love the brightness and saturation in your pictures. Very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Wonderful clicks! I love iced lemon tea, so refreshing!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Understated elegance, my complements!

    ReplyDelete
  79. How perfect for a hot summer day. I can only imagine how good it is when you make it!

    ReplyDelete
  80. That sounds so refreshing!!

    ReplyDelete
  81. Beautiful photos! I wish I could be in a place like that now...

    ReplyDelete
  82. I've never seen such pretty iced tea :)
    great photos!!!

    ReplyDelete
  83. Cool honey, lemon iced tea is just perfect for these hot sunny days!

    ReplyDelete
  84. J'adore le thé froid, on en fait chaque soir pour le lendemain :) enfin non, notre thé chaud du soir fini en thé froid :)

    Toujours d'aussi magnifiques photos, un plaisir de tout regarder ♥

    ReplyDelete
  85. Very artistic photos, great, and an ice tea recipe other than Swiss housewife style

    ReplyDelete
  86. Best recipe for iced tea e v e r.

    ReplyDelete