Iced Tea Pitcher with Lemon and Mint Made Easy
A simple, not-too-sweet iced tea pitcher made with black tea, fresh lemon juice and slices, and cooling mint—easy to prep, chill, and pour for everyday hydration.
Equipment
- Kettle or saucepan
- Heat-safe pitcher (at least 1.5 liters / 6 cups)
- Long spoon
- Whisk (optional)
- Knife
- Citrus juicer (optional)
Ingredients
- 6 cups water divided (2 cups boiling + 4 cups cold; about 1.4 liters total)
- 4 regular black tea bags or 2 family-size black tea bags
- 1/3–1/2 cup granulated sugar optional, to taste
- 1/3–1/2 cup honey optional, to taste (liquid honey; use instead of sugar)
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 medium lemons (80 ml)
- 1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 1 packed cup fresh mint leaves and tender sprigs rinsed and patted dry (about 10–15 g)
- 1–2 cups ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Bring about 2 cups (480 ml) of the water to a boil. Choose a heat-safe pitcher that holds at least 1.5 liters / 6 cups and rinse it with hot tap water to warm it slightly.
- Place the tea bags in the warmed pitcher. Pour the boiling water over them, submerge fully, and steep 5–7 minutes for black tea (start tasting around 4 minutes if bitterness is a concern).
- Remove tea bags with a spoon, letting them drip back into the pitcher (do not squeeze). If sweetening, whisk in sugar or honey while the tea is hot until dissolved; start with the lower amount and adjust to taste.
- Let the tea concentrate cool at room temperature for 5–10 minutes so it’s very warm but not boiling hot.
- Stir in the remaining 4 cups (960 ml) cold water and the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Prepare add-ins: gently bruise mint leaves (so they become fragrant) and thinly slice the lemon, removing any visible seeds. Reserve a few mint sprigs and lemon slices for serving.
- Add bruised mint and most of the lemon slices to the pitcher, pushing them down so they’re mostly submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
- Taste once cold and adjust: add 1–2 tablespoons more lemon juice if needed, or add more sweetener to taste (stir until dissolved). If mint is too strong, remove some leaves.
- Serve over ice: fill glasses with ice, stir the pitcher briefly to redistribute mint and lemon, pour, and garnish with a lemon slice and mint sprig.
- Make-ahead/storage: refrigerate covered up to 3 days. For best flavor, remove lemon slices after 24 hours so the rind doesn’t dominate.
Nutrition
Calories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSodium: 10mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.2mg
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