“Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.” – By Henry Fielding
Freshly brewed iced tea is a wonderful treat to make at home wherein you can control your sugars, sourness and flavour of tea. Make a large batch at one go, and you are pretty much set for the next few days. For those who have difficulty drinking enough water just because it’s boring, this is a great substitute to fill in your bottle for the day – however, I would recommend cutting the sugar amount.
My favourite tea to use here is Lipton. There is something so refreshingly “tea” about it. Lipton always brings me back to my boarding school days, where it was the only tea available in the pantry – such wonderful carefree days!
Iced tea is a favourite in America, particularly in the southern parts – and I discovered their secret – baking soda. Just add a tiny pinch to the jug before pouring in the tea. Why? It neutralises the tannins in the tea and makes for a smoother taste! The baking soda reduces the bitterness and keeps the colour clearer.
Baking soda is an ingredient that I keep bundles of at home – it is a natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It’s a multi-purpose item for your body, skin as well as home. If you want to clean your toilet, pour in 200gm of baking soda, leave overnight and flush the next day for a sparkly renewal.
In any homemade face or body pack, add a teaspoon of baking soda to it – it cleans your skin, closes up pores and works against any acne. My favourite weekly homemade face-mask is: 2 tsp yogurt + 1tsp neem + pinch of turmeric + 1tsp honey +1tsp baking soda.
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The Recipe
Serves
Ingredients
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 4 ½ glasses of boiling water
- 4-5 tsp sugar (As per your taste)
- 3 Lipton tea bags
- Juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Dip the tea bags into the boiling water and steep for no longer than 5mins. Then place in the baking soda into the glass jug and pour in the hot tea. Add in the sugars and stir to dissolve.
- Cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Squeeze in the lemon juice once chilled. To serve, place many ice cubes into the serving glass and pour the cold tea over it. You may garnish with a few mint leaves and lemon slices.
