Easy Cooking 101: How to Make Homemade Iced Tea

It's hot and we all need something refreshing to drink. Cloyingly sweet drinks don't work for me, so I rely instead on homemade lemonade and iced tea. Making homemade iced tea is easy and cheap, and the flavor far outshines any store-bought variety.

The idea is straightforward: make a tea concentrate (right in photo), mix a small amount of concentrate with water and ice, and sweeten with a simple syrup (left in photo).

The tea concentrate and simple syrup can stay in the refrigerator, so making larger quantities will make your life easier. The following directions will yield about four pitchers of iced tea.

• For the concentrate, boil four cups of water and pour over four tea bags. Let tea bags steep for about 10 minutes. (Add a handful of fresh mint leaves for additional flavor, if desired.)
• For the simple syrup, combine a ½ cup of cold water with a ½ cup of sugar in a small pot. Over low heat, stir until the sugar dissolves.
• In a two-quart pitcher, combine six ounces of concentrate with six cups of cold water. Add two or three tablespoons of simple syrup (depending on your palate), mix, taste, add more simple syrup, if necessary.
• Add a handful of ice and some mint (for flavor and garnish) and enjoy.

You may start to avoid pre-made iced teas.