Lemon Iced Tea

Lemon Iced Tea is a sweet and refreshing summer drink! Sweet black tea and bright lemon are a perfect match. A secret ingredient makes this tea extra smooth.

Growing up, iced tea was a summer staple we always had stocked in our refrigerator. And for good reason! It is refreshing, flavorful, and can’t be beat on a hot summer day.

This lemon iced tea is a classic pairing. It is perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. Plus, a secret ingredient makes for the smoothest iced tea without even a hint of bitterness.

Reasons to love this recipe!

• Making iced tea at home means you control the quality of ingredients.
• Adjust the sweetness level to suit your tastes.
• It’s naturally vegan, gluten free, and can be made paleo.

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Boiling water - boil the water and then set it aside for a few seconds until the boiling stops. Then pour it over your tea. This ensures the proper brewing temperature and minimizes bitterness.
• Tea bags - or loose leaf tea, but tea bags are a bit easier in this recipe. Choose your favorite black tea. I like English Breakfast, Assam, and Darjeeling.
• Sugar - organic cane sugar has a neutral flavor, but you can also use honey.
• Lemon juice - fresh squeezed and fresh squeezed only!
• Baking soda - a pinch eliminates the bitter tannins in black tea. Optional, but traditional in sweet tea recipes.
• Cold water and ice - once the tea has brewed, you'll add in cold water and ice to quickly chill it down.

How to make lemon iced tea:

Boil water: Bring your water to a full boil. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 15 seconds until the bubbles subside.

Brew: Add your teabags to a heat safe pitcher and pour in the water. Let steep for 5 minutes, remove and discard the tea bags.

Stir in ingredients: Stir in the sugar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

Chill: Add in the cold water and a few handfuls ice to quickly chill the tea. Pour over ice and enjoy!

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Storage

To store any leftover lemon ice tea, remove any sliced lemons and store in the fridge for up to 7 days. The lemons will make the tea bitter if they sit in it for an extended amount of time.

If possible, it’s also best to store the tea without ice to prevent it from getting watered down.

Why baking soda?

Adding a pinch of baking soda reduces the tannins in the black tea creating a smoother taste with less bitterness.

The higher quality the tea, the less likely you will have bitter notes, so feel free to omit the baking soda if you’d like.

More tea recipes to make asap!

• Chai Concentrate and Chai Lattes
• How to Make a Matcha Latte - 3 ways!
• Easy Homemade Tea for Digestion
• 5 Minute Fresh Mint Iced Tea
• Pineapple Matcha Drink

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