Secret Ingredient Iced Tea
- SERVES
- 4
- CHILL TIME
- 2 Hr
- COOK TIME
- 25 Min
Ever wondered why the iced tea served at restaurants always seems to taste crisper and more flavorful than your homemade version? Well, there's a simple secret to how that happens, and we're sharing it in our recipe for Secret Ingredient Iced Tea.
What You'll Need
- 10 cups water, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (See Note)
- 7 tea bags
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
What to Do
- In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Stir in baking soda and tea bags; remove from heat, cover, and let steep 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add remaining water and the lemon slices. Pour into large pitcher and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, or until chilled.
- Serve in tall glasses over ice and garnish with mint, if desired.
Notes
- Using baking soda in this recipe is no mistake. It removes any bitterness from the tea, leaving us with a smooth and flavorful drink.
- Looking for even more great summer thirst quenchers? Check out our collection of Cool Summer Drink Recipes!
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fwray 8806759
Jun 20, 2024
I am 75 years old and have always used baking soda in my tea. My mom and grandmother used baking soda also.
terribroviak 01438 86
Jun 27, 2018
I have been making mine with baking soda for many years, also the tea doesn't get cloudy either.
Morehouse17
Mar 28, 2018
This is a very interesting concept. I never really thought that the bitterness of the tea comes from the tea leaves themselves. I was under the impression that I just did not add enough sugar. I cannot wait to try this.
Delphine Bryant
Mar 11, 2018
I do not want to toot my own horn, but I think I can brew a mean pitcher of sweet iced tea. However, now that I read this recipe, I never thought about that little bitterness at the bottom of the pitcher or after being in the fridge for a while. Great tip. I will try this the next time I mix a pitcher of ice tea.
jlewis381 7030669
Jan 04, 2018
This worked! Thank you so much! I omitted the sugar and lemon, but adding the baking soda DID make it better! The bitterness is almost gone, leaving all the flavor. Awesome post! D
fredhomer 9960735
Jul 17, 2017
I use Family size T-bag in 2 qts water.Steep for 1/2 hr.add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 2 qts tap water and chill.Great tasting tea.Will have to try baking soda!!
kmcartoonity 62072 74
Mar 01, 2017
The use of baking soda is a great idea, and you don't even notice that it is in there. It mellows the tea flavor, and makes it a little less bitter. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding less sugar in it if you prefer. I am trying to cut down on my refined sugar intake and have been drinking a lot of unsweetened cold tea for less calories. Honey might be a good flavor in it instead of the sugar, but I am not sure how much I should use in substituting that.
BeckySue
May 26, 2016
I love ice tea and it's true that it always seems better at a restaurant. But do they really put baking soda in it? I'll have to try this with making my own brewed yes and see if it tweaks it!
tpickett 6307752
Nov 06, 2015
10 cups is too much tea for me. Can you supply me the method to brew five cups of tea? I tried family size tea bags and it was way too strong. Thanks
suegilbert8 956807 1
Mar 24, 2014
I also feel that one and half cups of sugar must be a printing error. I like most things sweet but I don't think I could drink tea with this much sugar in.
Diana 71847
Mar 22, 2014
Can the baking soda be used when making tea in a Tea Maker where you add tea bags to basket and add water similar to coffe maker?
Test Kitchen Team
Mar 24, 2014
Hello Diana, Although the Test kitchen has not tested it this way, we feel that this will be okay as long as the water is hot enough to dissolve the baking soda.
beted3328 3817926
Mar 03, 2014
Can you put baking soda in coffee for the same reason?
Test Kitchen Team
Mar 03, 2014
The Test Kitchen hasn't tried this with coffee so we're not sure it would work the same way.
gas65 4693300
Mar 03, 2014
I never use baking soda in my tea and it is never bitter. The trick is to remove your tea pot from the heat as soon as it starts to boil, than add your teabags in about a minute later. If the water is too hot the bags will start the water to boiling again which makes the bitter taste. You want the the teabags to steep not boil.
HelenGloria
Aug 21, 2013
Question..What size tea bag? Family size bags seem to make this to strong using 7 bags and tea not strong enough using the smaller bag!!?? My MIL always used a pinch of soda in her brewed tea. When asked "Why?", she said because her Mother did. Her Mom was still living so I asked her. She grew up on an Indian Reservation in Oklahoma, and gave me the sage advice, that's how she was taught. ummm, never found out, "Why?" lol
Test Kitchen Team
Aug 28, 2013
Baking soda cuts the acidity in tea. Different brands of tea bags will differ in strength and flavor. We would suggest trying a standard size tea bag using a name brand such as Lipton. If it's still not strong enough, try using more standard size bags instead of all family size bags. Thank you!
Half Pint 13
Aug 04, 2013
Baking soda? hmm I'll have to try it but here's a tip for anyone who's got a sunburn..take a tea bag plop it in the cup let it soak for a few minutes toss the bag get a napkin dip it in the tea and dab onto your skin it takes the sting out of the burn and no it's not stickey and you dont walk around smelling like tea lol..took me a few years to figure this out being a redhead, I can think of the sun and I burn...hope this helps...don't put any lotion on afterwards as all it does is hold in the heat and your skin can't breathe..:D
meatandtaters
Aug 26, 2013
This said LEMONS not lemon drink. To aid sunburn use pure white vinegar applied with a spray bottle.
Bradysmom26 383207 3
Aug 01, 2013
this might sound silly.....but when making unsweetened iced tea do you just need to leave out the sugar and maybe add lemon slices? I hate artificial sweeteners and would rather have unsweetened. I order this when I go to a restaurant and it is wonderful but I don't know how they make it.
Test Kitchen Team
Aug 01, 2013
Unsweetened tea contains no sugar and no artificial sweeteners. If you like lemon, you can add some slices. Simply brew the tea and refrigerate it. Enjoy!
lateforthetrain
May 24, 2013
I made this with Green Tea bags since it was all I had. It turned out great! Gone in no time flat! So now it's a staple in this household. Who knew? Baking soda?
beaking4 5041043
Aug 02, 2012
I know baking soda does alot of good in recipes, I always use it in pea soup and bean soup as well. It takes out some of the gas in those two soups.
ciggy99
Aug 01, 2012
I know salt sprinkled onto the coffee grounds in the basket (just a nice sprinkling covering most of the top, but not a ton) and then shook down into coffee before you put it in the coffeemaker helps remove a lot of the bitterness in a pot of coffee. If you get a bitter cup of coffee out in a resterant, just a pinch (be careful, don't want your coffee to taste saltey), if the coffee really tastes bitter that means it's old, ask them to make as fresh pot. But I don't know about baking soda in coffee. Why don't you try it and get back to us?! Member 5741507 Mar 11, 2012 Would baking soda remove bitterness from coffee as well?
tumbleweedmoran26 9381881
Aug 04, 2012
have done this too to my grounds for years!!! works very well..just a light sprinkling..
toberfest
Aug 01, 2012
Met a girl from Georgia, she put baking soda in her tea, we gagged on it, she put half a cup in hers ... this 1/8 teaspoon makes a lot more sense ... will give it a try ... being from oklahoma we like our tea ... the housewine of the south!
jkayc
Aug 01, 2012
the recipe CLEARLY states 1/8 tsp bkg. soda for 10 C water!!....and to use 1/2 gallon pitcher!! READ!!
gypse60 3589720
Aug 01, 2012
good idea on the baking soda i always put 1/2 tsp in my homemade tpmato soup or spaghetti sauce
cynthiaroberts236 4098016
Aug 01, 2012
This recipe for ICED TEA is great! Thanks a million & I can't wait to make the CHICKEN NUGGETS which sounds super too!
bneat 7861705
Mar 06, 2012
As another girl raised in the south who has been drinking sweet tea all her life, that is syrup tea! I only use 1 cup of sugar to a gallon (16 cups). A cup and a half to 10 cups is much too sweet! That is worst than soda. The baking soda was new to me, I will have to try it. Thanks!
Kriss S
Mar 06, 2012
As a G.R.I.T.S. (Girl Raised in the South), we were always taught to use Pure Cane sugar in making our sweet tea because it dissolves faster and easier than sugar made from other sources. Trust me! As the daughter of a "good Southern cook", this is not a myth...it's a proven fact!! Kudos for telling everyone about the baking soda!!
donnapooh2003 7872 772
Mar 06, 2012
I grew up drinking tea with baking soda in it and when I tell a friend about putting baking soda in the tea they think I'm crazy. thank you for telling everyone about the baking soda.
ksquawd
Mar 06, 2012
if u add the sugar as u add the tea bags your tea will not get sweeater as it sits a few hrs
Tupelo
Mar 06, 2012
Guess I like my tea stronger. I use 5 small black tea bags and 5 small green tea bags for 1/2 gallon. BUT the baking soda is a must for great iced tea. If I am making plain tea, I use 10 black tea bags.
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