10 Ways Iced Tea Can Rock Your Kitchen

Living in the south, iced tea is a staple, and sweet iced tea, well, you basically have it running through your veins!  Even though I believe that iced tea is fabulous as a drink, and needs no improvement, I want to share with you the many ways that iced tea can be used in cooking and ultimately rock your kitchen!

First, some tips to help you make the perfect brew of iced tea:

(Note: feel free to use your favorite store bought brand if you are not into making it homemade!)

* Use large tea bags or loose tea leaves to allow the flavors to be released

* Use clean filtered water

* Use boiling water (212 F) for black, herbal or oolong teas

* Use cooler water (170 F – 180 F) for green, white or lighter oolong teas

* To cool down tea quicker, add ice cubes, but make a stronger brew

* Don’t over steep or under steep tea. For black teas, steep for about 3 – 5 minutes and for green/lighter teas steep for 2 – 3 minutes

*Sweeten to taste while tea is still warm using whatever flavorings you enjoy. Examples: nothing, citrus, sugar, honey, agave, basically anything you want!

* Cool the tea before refrigerating to avoid cloudy tea

* Make as much as you can drink. Iced tea is best when it’s freshly made

Tip: Throw in some sliced lemons, limes, oranges, or even all three! This will not only pretty it up, it will ad some flavor punch!

Tea is good for you!

Tea contains antioxidants that offer great health benefits. To preserve the flavonoids, it’s recommended to squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice into the pitcher of the freshly brewed iced tea.

If you need a sweetener, choose a healthy one.

Healthy options: agave nectar, organic honey, raw sugar, molasses, or even raw honey! Another idea is to sweeten it with fruit purée for added healthy goodness.

10 Ways Iced Tea Can Rock Your Kitchen

Tip: Do not be afraid to experiment with different teas and flavorings!

1. Ice-Cream
You can choose and infuse any flavored iced tea to make ice-cream. To name a few and to give you some ideas green tea, mint, citrus, chai and so forth.

2. Sorbet
Lighter than ice-cream and a palate cleanser. Few sorbet ideas – watermelon, cucumber and mint, mango and green tea, mango and ginger etc.

3. Meat Glaze
You can use sweet tea to make a glaze for meats such as grilled pork, chicken, and beef.

4. Popsicles
Here’s another frozen treat to enjoy. You can add one or a medley of sweet berries; slices of peach, kiwi, orange chunks, apricot pieces or whatever fruit you like.

5. Marinades
For meats and seafood.

6. Pancakes
Add to your pancake mix.

7. Nuts
Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring to a boil two cups of iced tea, remove from heat and add 12 ounces of nuts, stir well and let sit for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the nuts. Bake for 13 – 15 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t burn. Cool the nuts before storing in an air tight container and it’ll keep up to one week.

8. Vinaigrette
You can add iced tea to make salad dressing vinaigrette. You’ll need 1 cup iced tea, 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp. honey, 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard, 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil.

9. Iced Tea Float
Drop a scoop or two of ice-cream or sorbet.

10. Cakes, Cupcakes, Tarts, Muffins Etc.
Add any flavored iced tea to the batter.

Do you have some yummy tips for using iced tea in your cooking? Please share them in the comments below…

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