nerdiTEA

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Well, don’t worry: after a very long hiatus, we’re getting back into the swing of things!

And I’m going to start out with a special treat: a tutorial! How to Make Iced Tea!

Now, I know it’s not going to be summertime much longer, but here in LA it’s back in the 90s, so my beloved iced tea pitcher (Bodum Bistro) has come back out of the cabinet and sprung into action again. And besides, just because it’s not hotside out doesn’t mean you can’t still drink iced tea from time to time – especially if you’re like Derek and me, we can never seem to agree on the temperature in the apartment!

So, where do we begin?

Well, let’s start with some math. You know, get the boring stuff out of the way.

When making iced tea, you’ll need to use more tea than usual – double or triple the normal amount. I’m going to make iced Precious White Peach (from Teavana), and usually I use 2 grams of tea per 8oz cup of water (that’s about a teaspoon per cup). My iced tea pitcher holds 51oz, but I round that down to 48oz so it’s a little easier for my equation:

48oz ÷ 8oz/cup = 6 cups
6 cups • 4g/cup (that’s double the tea per cup) = 24g of tea (about 12 teaspoons)

So I measure it out:

Then, I get the water to the right temperature. You’ll want to use the same temperature you would normally use – 208ºF for oolongs and blacks, 180ºF for greens and 175ºF for whites.

Perfect!

Then, set your timer. Somewhere around 3-5 minutes is perfect for iced tea. I like my iced tea light, so I usually brew for 3 minutes.

NOW we can get to the fun part – actually brewing the tea. Fill your pitcher up about halfway with your heated water, and let it steep until your timer goes off.

Oh man, I can hardly wait. Has it been three minutes yet???

Once your timer goes off, remove your tea leaves.

Note: I actually would recommend a less downy/powdery tea than what I used for iced tea, since that downy stuff can make your tea a little bitter after a while of sitting in there!)

Then, use some cold water to dilute your tea.

(Don’t taste it before you do this, it’s really strong, eek!)

And, to cool it down and truly make it “iced” – add ice, of course!

As the ice melts, it will also help to dilute it a little.

Now you’re ready to serve! Since it’s still probably a little warm, I like to serve it over ice.

Mmm this is going to be good.

And, of course, the final and MOST IMPORTANT STEP… Enjoy!

Of course, if you like sugar or another sweetener, feel free to add some – I like to do this by the glass, since not everyone does.

Enjoy your iced tea!

nerdiTEA has been on a slight hiatus for the past few weeks, for personal reasons.

We expect to be back up and recording new reviews within a week or two, so keep checking back!

In the meantime, we’d love to know if our readers/viewers have any suggestions for types of tea, tea vendors, tea products, etc. that you would like to see reviewed! We’re also open to ideas for articles related to tea, e.g. brewing techniques, making iced tea, etc.

Leave us a comment, let us know what you think!

And, as always, you can follow Jess on Twitter, twitter.com/nerdiTEA, for updates and general nonsense.

An energy drink without any sugar? Yes please! The Sencha Shot and Oolong Shot from Ito En are just the ticket!

(I like the Oolong Shot myself!)

Many thanks to Ito En for sending us samples of their teas!

UPDATE! Rona, a tea expert from Ito En, was kind enough to share why oolong is called a “blue tea.” Thanks, Rona!

Like a tranquil, tropical breeze, Submarinelight’s Pineapple/Guava Green Tea from 52Teas instantly transports you to a faraway island. All you need is the little umbrella for your cup.

Hearty oolong with fragrant citrus floral notes, Oolong Orange Blossom from Tropical Tea Company is perfect for waking up in the morning or as a delicious, subtly flavored iced tea. Plus, Tropical Tea Co. donates to a wonderful cause — bringing healthy, clean drinking water to children in Africa and across the world through filtered drinking straws from Water is Life — which makes each cup just that much sweeter.

Soft, soothing and light, Herbal Tea Calming Chai from Aura Teas is perfect for relaxing before bedtime, calming down after a stressful day or just sipping on a cool afternoon.
Just try not to drink it too hot!

In general, tea and tisanes are great beverages for people who happen to have food allergies, especially gluten. Unlike a lot of sodas, which can have gluten lurking in the tiniest little ingredients (as my good friend Michelle, who will appear in a future episode of nerdiTEA, described to me at a recent party), most teas/tisanes are completely free of anything that could have gluten in them, such as caramel coloring or wheat-based fillers.

Rachel of A Gaggle of Girls knows quite well what kind of foods can have hidden allergens lurking in them — she herself has Celiac disease and chronic lyme, while her three daughters have some fairly rare, but practically life-threatening, food allergies. As she described in their story on Rachel’s Recipe Blog, even something as small as a strawberry Starburst can cause an anaphylactic episode.

So Rachel’s family steers clear of gluten, dairy and several sorts of berries (the exceptions being cranberries and blueberries, which are a little different in makeup), as well as coffee and caffeinated tea — which can make finding a sweet dessert-type beverage kind of difficult.

Enter Rooibos, the magical mystical wonder “tea” from Africa. Free from the allergens Rachel’s family and hundreds of thousands of others need to avoid, and naturally caffeine free — something that tea from Camellia sinesis can’t really claim without some sort of caffeine extraction process — rooibos is naturally slightly sweet and piny, and combines very well with a variety of flavors, like vanilla, jasmine and various fruits. And, as many people are starting to find out, it makes a pretty mean latte.

Rachel herself was at Starbucks one day, pondering what could possibly be on the menu that would satisfy all of her dietary needs and still give a delicious, warm treat, and spotted the Vanilla Rooibos Latte, which Starbucks can easily make with soymilk. Bingo!

My 3 daughters had a little sip of the little I had leftover, and loved it. Thankfully I had some Adagio rooibos vanilla in the tea cupboard at home! I brewed a pot of the rooibos vanilla, using the awesome ingenuiTEA teapot I received from the lovely Nanny Ogg, then warmed up some vanilla soy milk, and combined. Big smiles on my girls’ faces, and for a fraction of the cost of the one I bought! Additionally, making it at home means that you are not limited to soy or cow milk, as you are when out. We’ve had this several times now, and I just restocked our tea supply to make sure we’ll have plenty.

I’m not personally a rooibos fan, but this has even me drooling, and it’s super simple!

Dairy-Free and Gaggle of Girls Approved Vanilla Rooibos Latte

Ingredients

• 1 pot vanilla rooibos “tea” – Rachel recommends Adagio’s Rooibos Vanilla
• 1/2 cup vanilla flavored milk substitute (soy, rice, almond, hemp, etc)

Method

1. Brew one pot of the vanilla rooibos tea.
2. Warm the milk substitute in a pot or microwave.
3. Combine the tea and the milk substitute in a mug, with a bit more tea than milk substitute. Enjoy!

Delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Rachel!

Like a big bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter morning, Genmai Cha from Adagio is hearty, filling and soul-warming. Great for helping you get through the day and settling the munchies.

Chocolate, strawberry and… chili pepper? Azteca Fire from Teavana is definitely a unique tisane (herbal tea), and it caught up with me on the third sip!

Funny story: We didn’t actually pick out this tea. A lady was at our Teavana store buying tons of tea, and somehow her bag of Azteca Fire got stuck into the bag with the teas we were buying. We realized this later when we were eating dinner and talking about the teas we bought, and pulled out one extra. When we went back to Teavana to return it, they told us to just keep it! Good thing we did, eh?

A St. Patrick’s Day treat! 52Teas‘ Shamrock Tea: a blend of Chinese sencha, peppermint, spearmint and vanilla.

A refreshing treat that we suspect is just as good iced!