Making Iced Tea

Iced Tea is welcome and refreshing at tea parties during hot weather. And some people prefer iced tea all the time. If you know your guests like Iced Tea, make a pitcher in advance and have it ready in the refrigerator even if you are also serving hot tea. Iced Tea can be made from any kind of tea, black or green, or from herbal teas or tisanes. You can also enhance the flavor of Iced Tea by adding fruit, herbs or spices.

To make 8 cups of Iced Tea, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large cooking pot. Remove the pot from the heat and add 6 tea bags. Cover and let the tea steep for at least 5 minutes—longer for stronger tea. Remove the tea bags and pour the tea into a half-gallon pitcher. Cover and refrigerate. You can make Iced Tea the day before you serve it. Serve it in an attractive glass pitcher with ice cubes. Offer more ice cubes in tall glasses to your guests along with lemon wedges and sugar. If you have long handled spoons for stirring Iced Tea, offer them to your guests who want to add sugar to their Iced Tea.

To enhance the flavor of Iced Tea and complement the foods you are serving, you can add lemon or orange slices, sliced cucumbers, fresh blackberries, sprigs of mint, cinnamon sticks, or slices of fresh peeled ginger. 

Southern Sweet Tea

Sweet Tea is an extremely popular beverage in the American South, and as its name indicates, it is an Iced Tea that has already been sweetened. To make 10 cups of Sweet Tea, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and add 8 tea bags. Boil for 1 minute; remove from the heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags and add ¾ cup of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Pour the sweetened tea into a 1-gallon pitcher and add 7 cups of cold water. Stir with a long spoon and refrigerate. When serving, add ice cubes to the pitcher and serve in tall glasses with more ice cubes.

THE TEA BOOK
The Road Back to Civilization
A Brief History of Tea
  Philosophy of Tea
     Harmony
     Humility
     Respect
     Creativity

Guidelines for the Host/Hostess

  Gathering and Greeting
  Sharing Stories
  Sharing Food
  Sending the Guests Home

Guidelines for the Guest

  Respect your Hostess/Host
  Bring a Gift if You Wish
  Practice Humility
  Monitor Your Conversation
  Arrive With a Grateful Attitude
  Help if Help is Needed
  Do Not Criticize
  Leave Gracefully
  Send a Thank you Note

A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
Teas of the World and How to Make Tea

  A Sampling of Teas
  Herbal Teas and Tisanes
  How to Make Tea
  Making Iced Tea
  Tea Concentrate
  Brewing Tea for a Crowd

Tea Utensils and Accessories

  Tea Kettle
  Tea Pot
  Tea Cozy
  Teacups
  Plates
  Silverware
  Teacart
  Tea Strainer
  Tea Infuser
  Three-Tiered Server
  Cream Pitcher and Sugar   Bowl
  Cake Pedestal
  Trifle Bowl
  Jam Pots
  Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
  Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
  Linens
  Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation

Tea Menu Basics

  Sandwiches and Savories
  Savory Spreads and Dips
  Scones and Tea Breads

About Lemons

  Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons

     A Spring Tea
     An Outdoor Summer Tea
     A Winter Afternoon Tea
     An Autumn Afternoon Tea

A Calendar of Tea Parties

  January:A Japanese New Year’s Tea
  February:Valentine’s Day Tea
  March:A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
  April:An Easter Tea
  May:Mother’s day Tea
  June:A Wedding Reception Tea

Lemon Yogurt Wedding Cake

  July:A Picnic Tea
  AUGUST:A FAMILY REUNION TEA

A North American Family Reunion Tea
  An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
  A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
  A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea

  September:An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
  October:A Tea to Honor   Our Ancestors(Dia de los Muertos)
  November:A Post Thanksgiving Tea
  December: A Christmas Tea

  In Defense of Fruitcake:Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit

A World of Tea Parties

  A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
  A Portuguese Tea
  A Classic British Afternoon Tea
  An Indian Chai Party
  A California Tea
  A Hawaiian Tea
  An Italian Tea
  An American Southern Tea
  A Russian Tea
  A French Afternoon Tea
  A Kosher Teawith  Traditional Jewish Foods

Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions

  An Afternoon Tea for  Children
  A Tea for Our Elders
  A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
  An Urban Tea on the Go
  Tea for One
  Afternoon Tea For a Large Group
  A Vegan Tea
  A Rose Tea