Iced tea with different variations

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 large piece(s) of fresh ginger
• 5 thyme sprigs or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 carnation(s)
• 5 fennel seeds
• 1 peppercorn
• 1 liter of boiling water
• 3 tea bags, black
• 3 tea bags of your choice (see variations)
• e.g. sugar or honey
• 1 lemon(s)
• 8 cl syrup of your choice (e.g. peach, pineapple, elderberry, etc.)
• 1 liter of water, cold

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours 40 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours

Base with various flavor ideas for 1 l brew, which is diluted to 2 l iced tea

Peel the piece of ginger and slice it. Wash the fresh thyme and place it in a tea infuser or mesh ball along with the cloves, fennel, and peppercorns (breaking the thyme sprigs will enhance the aroma later). Bring the water to a boil and place the tea bags, ginger, and spices in the tea infuser in a heatproof container (I use a 1-liter glass measuring jug). Once the water has stopped boiling, slowly pour them into the container. Steep the tea bags according to the package instructions, then squeeze and discard. Steep the spices for about 8-10 minutes, then discard them. Cover the container (with aluminum foil if you don’t have a lid) and refrigerate the brew with the ginger pieces for at least 3 hours (I usually do this overnight). The tea needs to be cooled relatively quickly, otherwise it will develop more bitter flavors. Once the tea is well chilled, sweeten to taste (I use between 30-45g of sugar) and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Squeeze the lemon, filter the juice through a sieve into the brew, and stir briefly. Rinse two 1-liter bottles with hot water and set aside. Add 4cl of syrup to each bottle as needed (if you don’t want to use syrup, you can add a second lemon to the tea). Using a funnel and sieve, pour 500ml of brew into each bottle and add another 500ml of cold water. Close the bottle, shake briefly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Best served in a tall glass with ice cubes. Variations: 3 x black tea and 3 x white tea plus peach, pineapple or elderberry syrup 3 x black tea and 3 x fruit tea plus peach syrup 3 x black tea and 3 x herbal tea plus elderberry syrup Tip: The higher the quality of the tea used, the better the result.