The perfect Summer refresher, this fruit iced tea is easy to make, pretty and delicious! I keep my fridge stocked with jars all Summer long. It’s a great grab-and-go drink and perfect for entertaining.
Iced tea has always been a staple Summer refresher for me, but a while back I discovered the beauty of cold brewed iced tea and it’s my method of choice for iced tea now!
One of my favourite ways to enjoy it is to infuse it with fresh Summer fruit This fruit-infused iced tea is pretty (and pretty counts :), refreshing and easy to make!
But first, some basics about Cold Brewed Iced Tea in general …
Why Make Cold Brewed Iced Tea?
- The basic principle of cold brewed iced tea is the same as that of cold brewed iced coffee. Cold brewing results in a milder, but smoother end product, without any acidity or bitterness.
- Cold Brewed Iced Tea is easier. No boiling large pots of water required!
- Suffer with cloudy iced tea? Cloudiness in iced tea results from the tannins that are produced when tea comes in to contact with hot water. Since cold brewed iced tea doesn’t use hot water, it is never cloudy!
How to Make Basic Cold Brewed Iced Tea
Simply add 1 tea bag for every 6 ounces of room temperature water. Allow to stand 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Discard tea bags, sweeten to taste and enjoy!
As shown here, I love to add fresh fruit to the cold brewing tea, as well. Here are some great fruit combination ideas for your cold brewed iced tea.
Fruit Flavour Ideas for Your Cold Brewed Iced Tea
- Berry Mint: Strawberries (halved), blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, sprig of fresh mint
- Citrus, Blueberry Basil: Orange slices, lemon slice, lime, slice, blueberries, 1-2 fresh basil leaves
- Orange Berry Thyme: Orange slices, strawberries (halved), blueberries, sprig of fresh thyme
- Peach Melba: Peach slices, raspberries, 1-2 mint leaves
- Cucumber Watermelon: Watermelon pieces, sliced cucumber, basil leaves
How to Sweeten Your Cold Brewed Iced Tea
Regular sugar just doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids, so the classic method for sweetening cold liquids like iced tea is to use a simple syrup. I’ve included my quick and easy recipe for Simple Syrup in the recipe card below. Another method which is nice (and great for anyone looking for alternatives to white sugar) is to mix equal parts of honey and hot water, and using to sweeten iced tea.
Recipe video
Recipe tips!
- I quickly discovered that for cold brewed iced tea I would need to use more tea bags than I would normally use with hot brewing to result in the same strength end result. For 1 1/2 cups of water, you will definitely want to use 2 tea bags. If you love a strong iced tea, you may want to use 3.
- I found that the 1 hour room-temperature steeping at the start of the process is important for getting the steeping started well before refrigerating. If you have the time, I recommend it!
- It’s worth noting here that as cold brewing results in a really smooth result, which you may mistake for weakness in the beginning. You just need to allow yourself to get used to iced tea without those bitter notes.
- Experiment with different teas. I’ve been loving a Lemon Ginseng Green Tea in my cold brewed iced tea lately. Any tea variety that you enjoy drinking hot is a good candidate for cold brewing. Loose leaf teas will also work, you will just have to cold brew it and strain it first, before adding fruit to the mix. Changing up the fruit and herbs is also fun for great flavour combinations.
- And yes, you can use frozen fruit in your tea! Simply add it frozen and it will thaw in the fridge as the tea steeps.
- Making cold brewed tea in 1/2 pint mason jars makes them great for entertaining. Simply place in to a large ice bucket and your guests can grab a refreshing and pretty jar and drink it right from the jar. No extra glasses required! Jars are of course, also perfect for travelling or for taking to work, as they are nicely sealed and again, their own glass for drinking.
- I always have cold brewed tea in my fridge by starting with a stock of 5 or 6 jars, then taking a minute to start a new one brewing after I’ve emptied one. The new one goes back in the fridge to start brewing. And so it goes. Always one ready to enjoy! Don’t worry if your tea steeps longer than 24 hours. It’s all good :) I try to remember to sweeten at the time I remove and discard the tea bag, so that I know the jars without the tea bag are ready to drink.
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Get the Recipe: Cold Brewed Iced Tea with Fruit
Ingredients
Cold Brewed Iced Tea:
- 1 1/2 cups water, room temperature
- 2 tea bags
Fruit Additions:
- Assorted fresh fruit
- Fresh herbs, (basil leaves, mint leaves, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs)
Simple Syrup for Sweetening:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
OR
Alternate Honey Sweetening:
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 1/4 cup hot water
Instructions
- Add 1 1/2 cups room temperature water to a 2 cup (1/2 pint) mason jar. Add 2 tea bags and submerge in water so they are well moistened. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add fruit and herbs as you like. Cover and refrigerate 12-24 hours.
- Meanwhile, prepare simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then boil for 1 minutes. Allow to cool then remove to a jar. Cover and refrigerate up to one month. (If you’d rather use the honey sweetening, combine honey and hot water and stir until honey dissolves completely in to the liquid. Remove to a jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.)
- Remove tea bags and sweeten to taste with simple syrup or honey sweetener. (I find 1-2 Tbsp of simple syrup works well with this amount of cold brewed iced tea.) Stir sweetener in and add ice cubes. Enjoy!
Notes
More drink recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hi this is amazing 🤗 can i ask what can you prefer?to add the fruits also when brewing the tea in the refridge. Or just add the fruits after? And how many days you can drinks or store the cold brew tea in the frifge?thanks
Hi Jobelle, it’s not recommended to add the fruit until the end, since it will just be in the liquid for too long and many fruits will become quite mushy and unappealing if they are in the tea that long.
Hi! How long will the cold brewed tea last in the fridgeif stored in an air tight bottle (minus the fruits)… Thanks
Hi Krizzel, The tea itself should keep well in the fridge 7-10 days, I would think.
Hi there
I came across your article and see you say if using tea leaves then you need to brew the tea first and then add the fruit. Why can’t you just add the fruit to steep and infuse with the tea for more fruitiness? I do get that after a day or so the fruit starts to get too soft but mine never lasts that long anyway. Your insight would be greatly received
Hi Ian, this refers to starting with loose tea leaves. If you add the fruit at the start, with the tea leaves, you won’t be able to strain the tea leaves out after the tea is steeped, because you will take the fruit with it :)
How long will this last in the fridge with the fruit?
Hi Ashlyn, It starts to get mushy after about 24 hours, so I just make ahead what I can drink in a day or so.
Oh I LOVE cold brew iced tea during the summer!! It is definitely a MUST for me! This tea is just gorgeous, Jennifer!! Love the addition of fruit! Can’t wait to try it! Cheers, friend!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :)
This is such a brilliant idea! Absolutely loving it and I see myself drinking a lot of this over the summer!
Thanks Jenny and yes, it’s great to have in the fridge all Summer :)
Wow this is stunning Jennifer! I’ve never loved the bitterness of tea, in any form, so this sounds like something I need to try ~ we’re in triple digits today, so this came at just the right time, sharing and pinning!
Thanks Sue! You will love this then. There is zero bitterness. In fact, the first time I drank it, I thought it was too weak, but then realized it was just that the bitter notes weren’t there :)
This is, by far, the prettiest tea I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I’m sure the fruit gives it wonderful flavor too! Pinning and sharing!!
Thanks Chris :) The fruit with the tea is perfection!
You know I have to try this! Great tip with cold brewing too – didn’t know that! Love the addition of fruit in there and it just looks so refreshing. Plus, those mason jars are the cutest! What is it about stuff in cast iron and mason jars?? Awesome job on the video too, Jennifer :)
Thanks Dawn and yes, cast iron and mason jars are my jam :)
These look so refreshing and I love how easy the cold brewed tea is to make right in the refrigerator! Peach tea is calling my name – and I LOVE your video!! You make me want to have a party on the deck just so I can serve these to our guests. Thanks for sharing Jennifer.
Thanks so much, Tricia :) And yes, peach tea would be awesome!