Not your average cold brew
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Iced tea should be summer's simplest pleasure. And it can be, especially when you steep artisan tea leaves in fresh, cold water. But if you take a closer look at the majority of ready-made iced tea brands, they are a far cry from the kind of refreshing cold-brewed beverage that I am referring to.
Most supermarket iced tea companies produce sugary concoctions that often contain as much sugar as a can of cola, with one too many artificial sweeteners and flavourings leaving very little tea left in the drink. These cloyingly sweet, syrupy drinks overshadow the taste of tea and what a shame, because tea in its own company is what I find to be the best.
Always on the hunt for purity, and dissatisfied with the products available, I discovered an easy method of making revitalising iced tea. It's now time to share the Lahloo iced tea secret: cold infusing. By taking tea leaves and steeping them in fresh, cold water, with no heat and no effort, you will find how versatile and unique tea can be.
Water brings the tea leaves to life, imbuing colour, aroma and flavour. If the water is hot, this happens more rapidly. Hot water also 'cooks' the tea as it extracts and forces reactions to occur that alter the original flavour. In contrast, cold water extracts more slowly. And this slower reaction produces less caffeine and less tannin and a naturally sweeter, purer flavour. Nothing compares to the vibrancy and flavour of cold infused tea.
At Lahloo Pantry, we use special Japanese Hario cold infusing carafes. But it’s equally straightforward to cold infuse tea at home without these devices. The beauty of cold infusing is that the quantities and timings aren't critical. It's a slow, gentle process.
Simply take 4 tsp of your favourite tea leaves, add the leaves to a jug or a bottle and top with 1 litre of fresh cold water. Place in the fridge for 4-8 hours depending on how you like it. When you're happy with the flavour, decant the tea to remove the infused leaves and enjoy. As easy as that!
Once you've discovered the pure taste of cold infused Lahloo Tea, why not try adding fresh herbs, citrus fruits and even a splash of your favourite spirit. Here's some of our favourite recipes to get you started...
By Kate Gover of Lahloo Tea
Image by Shu Han
I discovered an easy method of making revitalising iced tea. It's now time to share the Lahloo iced tea secret: cold infusing. By taking tea leaves and steeping them in fresh, cold water, with no heat and no effort, you will find how versatile and unique tea can be.
