Cold Brew Iced Tea
I am NO stranger to teas of most any kind. I'm definitely on the tea side of life and not the coffee side of it. For whatever reason though, I never had cold brewed iced tea until about a year ago. My brother was excited to share his delicious concoction with me and I was more than happy to try it!
Cold Brew Iced Tea Recipe:
Glass jar (make sure it is big enough to hold at least a half gallon of liquid)
1/4 C loose leaf tea
8 cups cold water
Simple syrup/Agave Nectar (Optional)
Directions:
Place tea leaves in jar and pour cold water over them. Put the jar in the refrigerator for 8-to 10 hours (depending on desired taste and strength). Strain the leaves. If you would like to add a sweetener, try simple syrup, honey, or Agave nectar. Stir in your desired sweetener and serve ice cold.
Tip: Sugar or other grain-like sweeteners won't work well to sweeten your brew because the tea is cold, thus they won't dissolve into your tea and will sink to the bottom.
Important: When making cold brew tea, it is imperative that you drink it within 2 to 3 days. Cold brew tea can begin to grow mold and other bacteria after 3 days, making it unsafe and unpleasant to drink.
Potpourri
Think potpourri comes from just flowers? Nope! Loose tea makes for great potpourri. One option of making a tea potpourri is to make a wet potpourri. In this case, you would make your tea leaves as if you were making them to drink. You can add in most anything you want (cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, mint, orange peel, and the list goes on) to your liquid. Enjoy the tantalizing scents that are coming from your pot as you let your mix steep and simmer. Voila, instant potpourri!
You can also use loose leaf tea as dry potpourri. This one is tremendously simple if you start with a good base of tea that has a pungent aroma. That said however, don't choose a tea that is so pungent that you can't stand it! You won't be cooking any of the smell out of it like in the wet potpourri, so make sure the scent is strong but bearable. Once you select your tea, you can simply leave it as is or add any extras you like. Mango green tea is a delightful choice for a dry potpourri as the smell is light, fresh, and invigorating. Try putting your tea potpourri in a clear jar or vase for a fun way to spruce up your area.
Dye on a dime
Loose leaf tea makes for a fantastic dye for fabrics. Fabric dyed in tea (often white or off white) generally comes out with a vintage sort of sepia look. There have been many Halloween costumes and Renaissance fairs at my house where tea has come quite in handy to make things look a little more antique or even "dirty".
As a general guideline for creating a dye, use 1/4 Cup of loose tea per 8 cups of water. The length of time you steep your tea will determine its darkness (longer steeping = darker color). Place your fabric in a basin or bucket and pour the tea over top. Make sure that whatever you want dyed is submerged in the tea fully or you will have to keep swishing your fabric around to get it evenly coated. Keep your fabric in the tea for up to 3 to 4 hours depending on your desired color. Wring and rinse your fabric, wash it, and you will be on your way to a more vintage tea friendly creation!
Sarai Garnett - Sarai Garnett believes that every day brings promise for great experiences. Holding a B.A. in Interpersonal and Organizational ...
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