Every now and then, I learn a thing that changes my life for the better in some small way. This happened to me recently.
I learned about cold-brewed tea.
I had never heard of cold-brewed tea. It’s not the same as iced tea, which is regular-brewed tea with ice in it. I’m a fan. But cold-brewed? Even better.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my current favorite is a blend called Sleek and Slender, not because I think it will actually make me sleek or slender, but because it’s delicious and also lower caffeine than black tea.
Usually, I will brew each set of leaves twice, once in the morning and once around lunchtime. Sometimes, I’ll do twice in the morning and stick the second batch in the fridge for later.
Not any more.
To cold brew tea, you put the water and the leaves in the fridge for a few hours or more, and then you drink it. That’s all! It’s cold and refreshing and unlike regular brewing, it doesn’t get bitter from being steeped too long. Supposedly, if you don’t mind the leaves, you don’t even need to strain it (using loose leaf tea).
Added bonus: I don’t boil pots dry by forgetting I put water on.
I find the cold-brewed tea to have more flavor than regular brewed tea on ice. I can still brew leaves twice. As is true with regular brewing, the second time it’s not as strong, but it still has plenty of flavor.
The tea sets in the image above are great! I’ve used them for years. For this purpose, I usually use just the pot and drink out of a regular drinking glass instead of the mug. I measure out my leaves, fill with water, and stick it in the fridge. After I pour it, if it was my first steep, I add water and stick it back in. Otherwise, I clean it out.
Saves time and brain power in the morning. Nice and cold for the hot summer. Win-win!
In full disclosure, I haven’t tried this yet with plain old black tea.
This method would work with any type of steeping tools and a closed container to steep in. Put the leaves right in the water or in any kind of infuser. Keeping a lid on the container will stop other flavors from your fridge from sneaking into your drink.
Let me know what you think if you try it!