Not Your Momma's Iced Tea--Celebrate National Iced Tea Month in June !

In the summer, at our house, there were always two pitchers of iced tea in our refrigerator. One of them, my mother referred to as " Your Father's Tea" (meaning sweet tea--southern style) and the other was, regular plain iced tea, no sugar. These were the two choices available. My mother made the iced tea from tea bags, although our neighbors used that very modern, "Instant Tea". ( You can taste the difference).

Growing up in the '60's, I started making sun tea in the summertime, and have continued the practice. Now, however, warnings about bacteria that can grow in sun tea may cause me to consider it a "Steep Risk" http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp.
If any of us got sick from sun tea, I didn't know it. I probably blamed some other "germ" or even
decided that a small child must have shared his illness.



The popularity and availability of a wide variety of flavored black and green teas has greatly increased my iced tea choices. (See list below for teas that are excellent iced). Magnificent Mango, quite popular in our tea room, competed with Arctic Raspberry and Shanghai Lime (photo) as favorites for iced teas. My iced tea choices are not limited to tea bags, instant tea, sweetened or unsweetened. .....I can celebrate incredible abundance !

Oregon Street Tea Company's Great Iced Tea Recipe:

For 2 quarts (1/2 gallon)

* In a 6 cup teapot, place an infuser filled with 12 teaspoons of tea.

* Fill the teapot with water heated to 195 degrees.

* Brew 5 minutes.

* In a 2 quart container fill 1/2 with ice.

* Pour tea over ice.

* Add cold water if needed to make 1/2 gallon of great iced tea !

The following teas make excellent iced teas and can be purchased from
http://www.oregonstreetteacompany.com

Black Flavored Teas:

Arctic Raspberry
Cranberry Breeze or Cranberry Orange
Lemon Lift
Magnificent Mango
Peach Apricot
Wild Cherry Blast

Green Flavored tea:

Strawberry Fields Forever
Shanghai Lime



The Very Popular "Arnold Palmer" http://www.arnoldpalmertee.com/news.asp

Fill a glass with ice and add:

1/2 lemonade
1/2 black tea (brewed)
1/2 Lemon slice to decorate the rim of the glass

Very Refreshing !


Hawaiian Iced Tea

Make 2 quarts of Oregon Street Tea Company's Great Iced Tea

Add:
1 can (16 oz) pineapple juice
1/2 cup simple syrup (recipe follows)
Refrigerate until chilled.

Garnish with fresh pineapple spears and serve


Simple Syrup: ( You can also purchase this)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water

Combine sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cool.

Happy Iced Infusions !
Kate

Craving.....Tanzania Treasure Tea

Tea picker with child
Originally uploaded by daveblume

Yesterday, as I drove home from my tea room, the delightful aromas of all those teas were still lingering and taunting my senses. I literally began to crave one of my favorite teas. The wholesaler calls it Luponde, after the Tanzanian estate where it is grown. I call it Tanzania Treasure, a strong malty excellent tea ! Today, I raided the storehouse at the tea room and brought some home.

While the tea steeped, I waited, anticipating the flavor and taste, the aroma, the bright coppery color. Longing for that first sip, the five minute "proper" brewing time, seemed like forever. I paced. I wondered if other addictions were as compelling. Are drug addicts or alcoholics as driven to get their "fix"?

Tanzania is the fourth major tea producer in Africa. The Luponde Tea Estate is one of the oldest estates in southwestern Tanzania. In the remote Livingstone Mountains Luponde teas are grown at an elevation of 7000 feet. The Luponde Tea Estate has been certified Fairtrade for over a decade. The extra premiums from the Fairtrade have tremendous and lasting impact on the community: a medical clinic, nursery school, and schools in nearby villages have been built. Numerous other projects have also been
completed. (Photo is a woman picking tea with her child, by Dave Blume)

The Tanzania Treasure tea met my every
desired expectation ! I savored the aroma, the color, the taste.....oh I am thankful they know how to produce such fine teas in the high mountain
region of Tanzania.