A question about a recipe: Mint Iced Tea -- Do you leave the tea (or bags) to steep in the mixture as it cools? Doesn't become bitter?

hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

added almost 2 years ago

Leaving the tea bags in will increase the amount of tannin you get, which is the part that kinda makes the inside of your mouth feel rough (if that makes sense.) It is a bit bitter, but I find it refreshing in an iced tea drink. I think it's a personal preference. If you are worried about it you could remove the tea bags after 4 or 5 minutes (like with hot tea.)

• 0 People think this is an excellent answer
• Reply
• Flag this answer for inappropriate content

Merrill is a co-founder of food52.

added almost 2 years ago

Yes, what Hardlikearmour said!

• 0 People think this is an excellent answer
• Reply
• Flag this answer for inappropriate content

cookbookchick added almost 2 years ago

Thanks! Iced tea is one of those things that I, like you, remember fondly from my childhood. As I recall, my mother tossed Lipton's tea bags into a pot of water and boiled them. Maybe she added a little sugar to the pot. The tea was always delicious and clear, unlike my bitter, cloudy efforts. Thus the Perfect Glass of Iced Tea has become my madeleine -- perfection remembered and always just out of my reach!

• 0 People think this is an excellent answer
• Reply
• Flag this answer for inappropriate content