Post 182

 Keeping Iced Tea Clear & Sparkly

Many customers inquire why their iced tea is cloudy. Let’s discuss first why it is cloudy and then follow with how to brew clear sparkly tea.

Cloudy tea is not “bad” tea. Cloudy tea is “shocked”, meaning it has gone from hot to iced by pouring the fresh-brewed hot tea over ice in a glass– the most popular and fast way to make iced tea. This is a simple chemical reaction to the solids in water as it mixes together. You are seeing polyphenols which are the health giving property in the tea and not harmful.

If you want the clear sparkly tea appearance do the following;

1. Brew tea

2. Allow it set on the counter at room temperature until completely cooled

3. Now pour the cooled-room-temperature tea over a cup of ice

Be aware that tap water probably won’t be clear because of the chemicals. The best water is filtered. Best for appearance and also for taste.

The Best Clear Tea is Fresh Made, Naturally Cooled, Poured Over Ice and Then Consumed Within 8 Hours of Preparation

Professionals in the food industry prepare their tea this way if they want clear, not cloudy, iced tea. Most do not care and are in a hurry serving thirsty customers. If the cooled tea is placed in the refrigerator, it will gradually change its appearance and flavor does of course degrade. In the restaurant business, the best tea is prepared, cooled at room temperature, poured over ice to serve, and used within 8 hours. Refrigerating left over tea will result in the cloudy appearance and change in initial flavor. Most people refrigerate their tea when the have left overs. There is nothing wrong with this, tea can be kept easily 2-3 days and is safe to consume for a full 6 days, just not the same flavor than fresh (like everything else– fresh is best)

If you are a nerd, here is the science about how tea becomes cloudy!

When tea is refrigerated, even if you have no trouble with refrigerator odors, it experiences a fundamental chemical change. The chemical change is caused by a reaction between the minerals calcium and magnesium with the polyphenols. Polyphenols vary in levels from tea to tea and referred to as EGCG. The higher the EGCG content of polyphenols, the greater the benefit to the cardiovascular system, veins, and arteries. When tea is refrigerated, these insoluble salts become more visible as the tea cools. The higher the polyphenols, the greater the change and health benefits. The highest concentration of polyphenols in tea leaf is found in the fresh new shoots of the plant which include the initial leaf and the next 2 leaves. Bottom line is that the greater the quality of the tea, the greater the chemical change in appearance.