Iced Tea Concentrate is hands down the easiest way to have a cold pitcher of iced tea ready at all times. Mix it up with different flavor combos, infuse with fresh fruit and herbs, or add in flavored syrups to make it your own. Whether you're serving tea at your next party, picnic, BBQ, or pool party, look no further!
Growing up my parents had iced tea in the fridge at all times. Usually it was my sister's job to keep a pitcher filled. At that time we boiled water on the stove and steeped the tea. Then you had to pour the hot tea into a pitcher and wait for it to cool.
Too bad she didn't know about this make-ahead hack back in the day!
Making iced tea concentrate instead of just a gallon of tea is simple, yet TOTALLY life changing. We go through about a gallon of tea every day or two in the summer. With this little trick I am able to have 3 gallons worth of tea concentrate in the fridge ready and waiting.
If you're more of a lemonade person (or an Arnold Palmer person), try this homemade lemonade concentrate recipe! Plus we have added a classic lemonade recipe, strawberry lemonade recipe, blackberry lemonade recipe, and cherry lemonade recipe.
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What is a tea concentrate?
Iced tea concentrate is simply an extra strong brew of your favorite iced tea. You make a small amount of this concentrated tea, then just add water to dilute it when you're ready to serve.
Why it's great!
- It's EASY... easier than you can even imagine. Just take a look at the instructions and you'll see what I mean.
- This is the best way to serve tea to a crowd. It's easy on the wallet, make-ahead friendly, and simple to store enough for large quantities. We serve it at holiday parties (like with our Easter recipes) and more casual gatherings (like with our Game Day recipes) alike!
- It's the best way to prepare iced tea several days ahead of time without taking up all your fridge space.
- It's economical (much cheaper than buying juice, soda, or other drinks). Plus it's a much healthier alternative to most beverages at stores. I can feel good about having this tea in the fridge all week for the family.
Ingredients for iced tea concentrate
You only need 2 ingredients to make this recipe. Water and tea bags - that's it! You can use any type of tea, including black, fruit, or green. You can also use loose leaf tea leaves.
Helpful tools to make this recipe
Glass Jars (Regular Mouth)Leak Proof Mason Jar LidsPlastic Lock n Lock PitcherBeautiful Glass Pitcher
How to make iced tea concentrate
There are a few ways to make tea concentrate successfully. My favorite method is using the sun to do the steeping - easy!
Sun tea
Fill a glass jar with 2 cups of water, then add 12 tea bags and screw on the lid. Pop it in the sun for the next 4-6 hours. Once you bring in the jars, take out the tea bags and give them a gentle squeeze to get the extra liquid out. Store the sealed jar of concentrate in the fridge.
Stovetop
Heat 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan on the stove (or use the microwave) until hot but not boiling. Then place 12 tea bags in the hot water for an hour or two. Once they've steeped for awhile, remove the bags and give them a gentle squeeze. Pour the concentrate into a glass jar, screw on the lid, and store in the fridge.
Cold brew
Fill a glass jar with 2 cups water, then add 12 tea bags and screw on the lid. Refrigerate for 8-12 hours (longer is better in this case). Then take out the tea bags and give them a gentle squeeze to get the extra liquid out. Store the sealed jar of concentrate in the fridge.
How to turn concentrate into iced tea
When you're ready to turn your concentrate into iced tea, simply pour the concentrate into a gallon pitcher and add 14 cups of cold water. You should have a 1 part concentrate to 7 parts water ratio. Enjoy!
Variations
Several years ago I learned a secret for great tea at a delicious Mexican restaurant near our family's summer vacation spot. They put in one family sized black tea bag along with green tea and fruit tea bags.
Before this I was trying to make fruit flavored iced tea with only green tea and fruit tea. It just wasn't quite right. The black tea bag adds the perfect touch.
Moral of the story: This recipe is incredibly flexible. Definitely feel free to mix it up and find the flavor and combinations that you like best. Here are our general recommendations for flavor profiles:
- For black tea: 12 single sized black tea bags (or 4 family sized*)
- For green tea: 12 single sized green tea bags
- For fruit flavored tea: 6 single sized black tea bags (or 2 family sized*) + 4 single sized green tea bags + 2 single sized fruit flavored tea bags. Our favorite fruit flavors are cranberry pomegranate, wild berry zinger, and citrus sunrise.
- Fruit: Try adding fresh fruit to your pitcher and smoosh it around to release the flavor. Then pour in your prepared tea concentrate and water. Let it infuse for a couple hours before serving (you can strain tea if desired). Our favorites are fresh berries, stone fruits, and thin lemon or orange peel or slices.
- Herbs: Try adding mint, hibiscus flower/jamaica, or rose hips to your pitcher of finished tea.
- Flavored syrups: Add a drizzle of a flavored syrup to your finished tea to make it extra special. Torani syrups are a great idea for this.
*1 family-sized tea bag = 3 single sized tea bags
For a crowd
To serve iced tea to a crowd, first figure out how many gallons you want to serve. This will vary depending on how many people are coming and how many other beverages will be served.
Before throwing a party I always check out the beverages page on Ellen's Kitchen site. It is a little old fashioned, but full of great information. Having said that I find her numbers to be a little on the high side.
Once you know how many gallons you need, make the corresponding amount of concentrate. This recipe makes enough concentrate for 1 gallon of tea, so double or triple it as needed.
Depending on the occasion, you can also dress it up a little. In the picture below you can see how we used the iced tea concentrate at my niece's bridal shower. The idea was to do a tea party, but since summers in the desert are 110º+, we opted to have iced tea as one of the options.
To the left of the iced tea you can see bottles of flavored syrup that we dressed up for adding into the tea. It was a hit!
FAQs
My rule of thumb is for every 2 cups of water I use 12 individual sized tea bags, which will make enough tea concentrate for 1 gallon of iced tea. You can also substitute 1 family sized tea bag for every 3 individual sized.
This recipe is more of a method, so no need to be exact. If you want a strong iced tea concentrate then add an extra tea bag or two. If you prefer your tea lighter in flavor add one or two tea bags less.
It depends. If you are making this on the stove or in the microwave you can stir the sweetener into the water right when it gets hot. If you are allowing the sun to warm the water, then I would suggest using a simple syrup to sweeten it (instructions for that are in the recipe card).
Store the concentrate in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Then add water and serve.
More recipes
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- Homemade Lemonade Concentrate
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- Frozen Lemonade
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- Frozen Yeast Rolls
- Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Orange Loaf Cake Recipe
- Slow Cook Tritip
- Brine for Smoked Turkey Breast
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- Iced Coffee Recipe
Recipe
Easy Iced Tea Concentrate (Make Ahead!)
Ingredients
- 16 cups water divided (2 cups for concentrate, 14 cups for turning it into tea later on)
- 12 single size tea bags various flavors (see notes for flavor combination ideas)
Instructions
Sun Tea Concentrate
- Place 2 cups of water in a jar. Add the tea bags making sure to keep the paper tags out of the water. Screw on the lid tightly. Place in a bright sunny spot for 4-6 hours.16 cups water, 12 single size tea bags
- Unscrew the lid and remove the tea bags, gently squeezing to remove excess liquid. Put the lid back on and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. When it is time to serve, add the concentrate and 14 cups water to a gallon sized pitcher. Serve over ice.
Stovetop Tea Concentrate
- Place 2 cups of water in a pan. Heat water until it is almost boiling. Turn off heat and add the tea bags making sure to keep the paper tags out of the water. Allow to steep for 1-2 hours.16 cups water, 12 single size tea bags
- Remove the tea bags, gently squeezing to remove excess liquid. Pour into a glass jar. Put the lid back on and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. When it is time to serve add the concentrate and 14 cups water to a gallon sized pitcher. Serve over ice.
Notes
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
myrt says
Since tea is acidic, you can preserve your concentrate in mason jars using a boiling water bath. The product is shelf stable.
Marla says
How long would you water bath canned tea concentrate?
Pam says
How long would this concentrate last in the fridge?
Misty says
Hi Pam - This concentrate stays good for about a week in the fridge. Enjoy!
Megan says
Can you use this recipe to make hot tea? Add 14 cups of boiling water when ready to use?
Misty says
Hi Megan! We haven't tried that before, but it sounds like it could work. It may be best to bring the concentrate to room temperature before adding the hot water, that way it stays nice and hot. Let us know how it goes!
Megan says
Turned out great!
Brenda says
I've made "sun tea" since I was a kid back in the early 70's....we loved our sun tea. We'dake a huge batch. I am going to make sun tea with Jade Citrus Mint, then make my own copycat Peach Green Tea Lemonade ( Starbucks kind). I love making teas then flavoring them with different types of simple syrups... blueberry, rosemary, lemon, any kind you can imagine
Danielle says
Sound delish! Enjoy!
Ralph B says
How would this be done with loose leaf tea?
Danielle says
Hello! I would follow the instructions as written placing the loose tea directly in the water. Once the 4-6 hours have up, strain the contents over a fine mesh strainer and gently press out the excess. Hope that helps!
Aspen says
I’ve made this both on the stove and as sun tea over the last year. Making it again today as early spring sets in where I’m at, and I just love how easy and delicious this is. Brings back all of the wonderful summer vibes that I am looking forward to. Great recipe!
Danielle says
Thanks! We couldn't agree more.
Carol says
I made several batches for a wedding in quart and pint jars. I steeped it with hot water from my electric kettle then placed it on the refrigerator overnight with the tea bags in the jars. It was a little warm still and it turned cloudy overnight. Why did this happen and is it still ok to use. Will the tea be cloudy when we add water? Thank you.
Danielle says
Hello! I am so sorry, but I don't know if the tea will be cloudy or not once you add water. It should be just fine to drink though. After doing a little research, I discovered that the cloudiness is from not allowing it to cool all the way which changes the way the caffeine acts but should not affect the taste. If you have time, you can remake the concentrate allowing it to fully cool before placing it in the refrigerator. Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions.
Leia says
I used the stove top method when making this recipe and used decaf Earl Grey tea and I love the convenience of making iced London Fog lattes in the morning. I’m excited to try this recipe using some green teas too!
Danielle says
Great idea! Thank you so very much for taking the time to let us know!
Linda Stitt says
If I'm using the simple syrup, should I mix the equal parts of water and sugar with the 2 cup part, then add the other 14 cups of plain water?
Danielle says
Great question, Linda! We suggest making the simply syrup separately and sweetening glasses of iced tea individually. If you want to sweeten the whole gallon, add the simply syrup after the gallon has been made. Enjoy!
Diame says
How many tea bags to the concentrate??
Misty says
It's 12 regular size of bags in 2 cups of water to make the concentrate, then add 14 cups of water to the concentrate to make it into a gallon of iced tea. Enjoy!
Linda says
I usually steep my tea in the fridge overnight. Would the same amounts apply for this method?
Danielle says
I haven't tried that, but it seems to me that would work perfectly. Definitely seems like it is worth a try! If you give it a try and have a minute, we would love to hear how it turned out.
Tina says
How many ounces for a 8 iz cup of tea?
Danielle says
I think you are asking how many ounces of concentrate to make an 8 ounce glass of tea. If so, you will need 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of concentrate and 7 ounces (a little over 3/4 cup) of water to make one 8 ounce glass of tea. Hope that helps!
Diana says
Sounds fantastic! Just what I was looking for- I don’t have room for a gallon container in fridge so I thought AHA! Concentrate!
This hits the nail on the head- so glad someone else asked about breaking down by the cup-
The whole time I’m reading I was trying to do the math in my head! Wasn’t working out to well! Lol
Thanks a bunch!
Misty says
So glad this is what you needed! It is so handy to have a way to make tea ahead without a lot of fridge space.
shelby cross says
Great idea for party planning....genius. Our family uses a similar technique for tea, lemonade, juice and kool-aid...all concentrated in canning jars. We love variety! Each person makes a half glass of ice water and fills the rest with the concentrate of their choice. No big jugs in frig and its kind of pretty. I notice that kids eventually start watering down drinks more and more, which pleases mama!
Danielle says
This has come in handy for so many parties, events, and our Sunday Dinners. I hadn't considered just letting my family use a little bit of the concentrate straight from the fridge. That is genius! Love how we all can learn from each other. Thanks for your comment and have a blessed day!
Mrs. M says
Your recipe card says 16 cups but the article says 2 cups. Did you mean 16 oz.?
Misty says
Thanks for your question! The concentrate itself is made with two cups of water and 12 tea bags. The recipe card says 16 cups of water because you will need another 14 cups of water to turn the concentrate into iced tea when you are ready to serve it. I hope that answers your question!
Liksha Hoskins says
Warm the water in the microwave???? Why would you suggest that rubbish????
Danielle says
Where we live it gets very hot, so we try and keep anything off (like the stove) that releases heat. No worries though. Feel free to just set the jar in the sun or heat the water on the stove. Have a nice day!
Deb says
I used my electric kettle to heat the water and that was so much easier and also eliminates turning on the stove when it's hot weather...
Danielle says
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Alex says
Why would it make a difference if the water was heated in the microwave? Hot water is hot water is it not?
Rachel says
Tried and true, especially since days are busy enough. Gives me a flavored drink for those days I'm craving soda but want a healthy and refreshing alternative! Really allows you to decide if you want to use caffeinated tea or to simply use herbal tea for an evening cup.
Misty says
Yes, great way to stay away from sugaring drinks. Glad you enjoy it so much!