This quick and easy recipe for Sweet Lemon Iced Tea will be a summer favorite – It’s so refreshing and full of fruity flavor!
It’s that time of year again – Time to enjoy warm, sunny days outside. There’s nothing better than a relaxing day at a sunlit beach or laying by the pool taking sips of a tall glass of Sweet Lemon Iced Tea.
Why this recipe works:
- The hot brew of the tea helps to give a robust quality.
- The fresh lemon juice gives a fresh vibrant flavor you just can’t get with store-bought.
I adore iced tea. Back home in New Jersey, I drank it all year round. They don’t sell mixes here in England and although I find the occasional bottle of ready-made in the grocery stores, it’s really hard to come by.
After so many summers of craving iced tea, I decided to try my hand at making my own, and ever since, I make it all the time.
You can never have too many iced tea recipes right? If you love iced tea, you can also check out my recipe for Sweet Peach Iced Tea – It’s delicious!
This Fresh homemade iced tea recipe is so easy to make, the only tedious part is getting all the juice out of those lemons but, please use fresh juice – it is so worth it in the end!
How To Make Lemon Iced Tea
Boil 4 cups of water then add to a large heat-proof pitcher.
To the hot water add the baking soda and sugar. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
To the hot water add the tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes. The longer you steep the stronger the taste.
Remove all of the tea bags. Add the lemon juice.
Top off the rest of the pitcher with cold water. Place in the refrigerator until chilled.
When ready to serve, add lemon slices and ice to the glasses then pour the tea.
Enjoy every last sip!
Top Tips For Perfect Iced Tea:
- To avoid potential dangers, if you’re not sure if your pitcher is heatproof, prepare the tea in a saucepan and transfer once cooled.
- Make it to your taste: Iced tea recipes are easily adaptable. You can brew it strong or light or make it unsweetened or sweetened. Once get the basics, you can make it according to your taste.
- Don’t skip on steep time: Iced tea gets diluted so you really want to extract the maximum amount of flavor from your tea. Steeping long enough to get the most flavor is vital to a quality brew.
- Control the sweetness according to taste: Try adding the sugar in stages and taste as you go to adapt the recipe to your taste.
- To keep the tea from being watered down, add the ice to your glass instead of the pitcher.
- To keep the fruit from breaking down, add the sliced lemons to the glasses instead of the pitcher.
Flavor tips and variations:
- Tea blends – This recipe calls for plain black tea bags, but you can use whatever blend you like. For instance, fruit-infused black teas tend to make great iced tea.
- Using Green Tea – If you are using green tea, the hot brew method is particularly important as it can get bitter if you steep it cold.
- I have made this recipe using other citrus fruits like orange, tangerines, and limes. All of the flavors have been delicious so don’t be afraid to play around and create your own!
FAQs
Why is Baking Soda used in iced tea recipes? Baking soda neutralizes the bitterness of the tea and gives it a much smoother taste.
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Let's Make Sweet Lemon Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- ¾ - 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tea bags black tea
- The juice of 6 fresh lemons
- 4 lemons sliced
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- In a large, heat-proof pitcher/jug, combine the boiling water, baking soda & sugar mix well to dissolve the sugar. Add the tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes (the longer you steep the stronger the taste).
- Remove the tea bags.
- Add the lemon juice and fill the rest of the pitcher/jug with cold water.
- Refrigerate until chilled.
- Add lemon slices and ice to a the glasses and pour the tea over the ice and lemon slices to serve.
Tips + Notes
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in August of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in June of 2018.
Elizabeth W says
I made this tea with our South African Rooibos Tea. First with lemon and then with apple slices. It is so delicious that I haven’t been able to wait for it to cool down before finishing it. I hope to show more restrain with the next batch! Love it. Thank you.
Erren Hart says
I’m delighted to hear that the recipe turned out well for you. Your positive feedback means a lot.
Donna-Marie says
I followed this recipe and found it very easy.
One question, my tea looks like it curdled as soon as I added the Lemon juice, could it have a reaction to the baking soda as it sounded fizzy when pouring it in?
Erren Hart says
Hi Donna-Marie, I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused. What curdled?
Donna-Marie says
Once the sugar, water, baking soda dissolved I add the steeped black tea, once I added the lemon juice it fizzed and then looked like it split leaving lots of floating bits, which was not any lemon pulp as it was strained before being added.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for clarifying. It’s normal for the lemon juice to cause some fizzing when added to the tea mixture due to the interaction with the baking soda. As for the appearance of floating bits, it could be due to the reaction between the lemon juice and the tea. Sometimes, lemon juice can cause the tea to appear cloudy or separate slightly. This doesn’t affect the taste of the iced tea, and the floating bits are likely natural components from the lemon juice. If you prefer a clearer appearance, you can try straining the mixture again after adding the lemon juice to remove any additional sediment. Enjoy your refreshing glass of iced tea!
Magda Kalse says
Hi there. This was such an exciting process. I am not sure what I did wrong though… My tea is not see through and it has tiny particles in. I made sure all the pieces from my lemon were out and filtered it. Is there any advice you could give me?
Erren Hart says
When iced tea is cloudy, it is because the tannins and caffeine have bound together. Let the tea cool to room temperature before adding cold water or ice if you want to avoid the cloudy effect.
Melissa says
Best iced tea recipe I’ve come across and will be used weekly in my household! ❤️ super easy and simple too!
Quick question: how long does it last in the fridge? while I will be going through it quickly (It’s that good!) I’m wonder if I make larger batches, how long they will last.
Thanks in advance!
Erren Hart says
Hi Melissa, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re so pleased to hear you enjoy it so much! You can make a big batch and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. I hope this helps!
geiger lee says
best iced tea ive ever tasted!
Erren Hart says
Now, that’s some high praise! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Olive says
This was just what we were looking for! I’m so glad I found your site. We’ll definitely be making it again!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for your kind words, Olive! We’re glad you enjoyed our iced tea and that you’ll be making it again. We hope to see you again soon!
Noa faulds says
It was amazing
Erren Hart says
I’m happy to hear it, Noa!
Ernestine Morris says
I tried this recipe and my son said it is better than store bought.
Do you have a recipe for citrus green tea
Erren Hart says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you all enjoyed it so much! I don’t have a recipe for citrus green tea, but will keep it in mind for the future!
Stephanie says
Very delicious tea! I halved the recipe and it was still perfect.
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie 🙂
Wendy says
Hello,
What size pitcher should I use?
Thanks!
Erren Hart says
Hi Wendy, I use a gallon, but it can be adjusted to whatever size you have by adding the sugar and water a little at a time to suit your preferences and taste.
Wendy says
Thanks! 🙂
Steph says
Really liked the flavour – I used Chinese Black tea dried, and it was sooo sweeet I had to dilute it with water – which was great because I got almost TWICE the amount of tea to share!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Steph, I’m so pleased you liked the recipe 🙂
Lolee ofa says
how long can I store this in the fridge for
Erren Hart says
Great question! Homemade lemon iced tea can typically be stored in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. It’s best to keep it in a sealed container or pitcher to maintain freshness. However, please note that the flavor may start to weaken after the first couple of days. If you notice any changes in taste or texture, it’s a good idea to discard it. Enjoy your refreshing lemon iced tea while it’s at its best, and feel free to make a fresh batch whenever you’re in the mood for more!