Refreshing and fruity ice tea with lemon is the perfect drink for summer. And it’s wonderfully easy to prepare! Here I share with you step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make my foolproof lemon iced tea recipe in just 10 minutes.
About Lemon Iced Tea Recipe
You’ll find all sorts of different iced tea options at cafes and coffee houses throughout the world. Many include seasonal fruits for those scorching summer months when you need some sweet and refreshing.
Not only is fruit tea cooling and delicious, it’s very easy to prepare at home. Like my Mango Iced Tea, I make this Lemon Iced Tea recipe several times during the season. I thought it was past time I share this simple gem and am sure you’ll love it as much as I do!
There are only 4 ingredients needed, including black tea powder (or tea leaves), your sweetener of choice, water, and – of course – lemon. But you can also customize my recipe for your tastes, and enjoy a glass of freshly made iced tea anytime you want!
How to Make Iced Tea with Lemon
Steep Tea
1. Add 5.25 cups (approximately 1.25 litres) of water to a saucepan.
2. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring the water come to a boil.
3. Turn off the heat once the water comes to a boil. Immediately add 1 to 2 tablespoons of black tea powder, depending on how strong you want your tea to taste.
Alternatively, you can use black tea leaves or green tea leaves.
4. Add ⅓ to ½ cup raw sugar or granulated white sugar. For a less sweet taste, you can add ¼ cup sugar.
Note: Omit the sugar for a delicious unsweetened iced tea recipe.
5. Mix very well and let the tea leaves steep in the water for 4 to 5 minutes. For a lighter tea flavor, you can steep for 2 to 3 minutes.
Make Lemon Iced Tea
6. After the tea has steeped in the hot water, then add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pot. For a stronger lemony taste, you can add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Note: You can also skip the lemon juice altogether and make a simple iced tea.
7. Stir well with a spoon.
8. Then strain the tea into a steel or heat-safe glass jar.
9. Let the lemon tea cool at room temperature. This will take 30 to 60 minutes. Once it has cooled you can store in the refrigerator.
It keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Refrain from keeping the lemon tea outside as it may begin to ferment.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
10. To serve the lemon team, add 4 to 5 ice cubes in a glass – more or less to preference. I also suggest adding 1 to 2 slices of fresh lemon to each glass as well.
If you have refrigerated the lemon tea and serving it cold, then do not add ice cubes.
11. Pour the lemon tea into the glass(es).
12. Garnish with a lemon slice or a sprig of mint leaves.
12. Enjoy the Lemon Iced Tea immediately. You want to drink it before the ice gets a chance to melt and dilute the lemon tea flavor.
FAQs
You can prepare a sweet and refreshing batch of tea with limes, oranges, and even berries.
Although I prefer unrefined cane sugar or raw sugar, feel free to use your preferred sweetener.
Other options include granulated sugar, coconut sugar, jaggery (note that the taste will be a bit different), agave or honey.
If using honey be sure to not add it until the brewed tea has cooled to room temperature. Honey becomes toxic when added to hot beverages and food, according to Ayurveda.
The fruit tea can be stored in a container with a lid and kept in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days.
Yes and yes. As-is this iced tea recipe serves four. Simply double or halve the ingredients to prepare as many servings as you like.
More Tea Drinks To Try!
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Iced Tea Recipe | Lemon Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 5.25 cups water
- 2 tablespoons black tea powder or black tea leaves or green tea leaves
- ½ cup sugar – can also add ¼ cup to ⅓ cup sugar for a less sweet taste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice – can add less or more as required
- ice cubes as required
- lemon slices – few, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Steeping tea
- In a pan pour about water.
- Heat the pan on a medium flame and let the water come to a boil.
- Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons black tea powder.
- Add sugar. Mix very well.
- Let the tea leaves steep in the water for 4 to 5 minutes. For a lighter tea flavor, you can steep for 2 to 3 minutes. If using green tea, steep for 2 minutes.
- After the tea is steeped in the hot water, then add 3 tablespoons lemon juice. For a more lemony taste, you can opt to add 4 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Stir with a spoon.
- Then using a tea strainer, strain the lemon tea in a steel or glass jar. The glass jar should be able to handle the heat.
- Let the lemon tea cool at room temperature. Later you can chill it in the fridge.
Making iced tea
- While serving, add 4 to 5 ice cubes in a glass or glasses. You can add less or more as per your preference. If using cold iced tea from the refrigerator, then you can skip adding ice cubes.
- Also add 1 to 2 lemon slices. Adding lemon slices is optional.
- Pour the lemon tea in the glass or glasses.
- Garnish with a lemon slice or a sprig of mint leaves.
- Serve Lemon Iced Tea immediately. While drinking do stir lemon iced tea with a stirrer or a spoon.
Storage
- If you are not planning to serve ice tea on the same day, then keep it in the fridge.
- It keeps well for 2 to 3 days when refrigerated. Do not keep it outside as it may start to ferment.
Video
Notes
- Opt to omit lemon juice from the recipe and make a simple Iced Tea.
- You can swap lemon juice with lime juice or any citrus fruit juice. Adjust the sugar as needed if you using any other citrus fruit juice.
- For garnish a few sprigs of mint leaves or fresh basil can be added.
- The recipe can be scaled easily and you can make a big batch of it.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Iced Tea recipe from the archives, originally published in May 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.
For how many days can we store it?
For a week in the fridge.
Hi .nice recipe …can we use normal daily use tea instead of black tea
yes that is in fact black tea. so you can use it.