Thanks very much for our newsletter on hydration this week – The following content is a contribution from Hydration Anywhere
Libre Tea glasses are exceptionally versatile. Whether you like your tea steaming hot, chilled with ice, or gently warmed by the sun, the Libre makes it a simple matter to brew your favorite tea with minimal hassle. In this article, we’ll explore how you can very easily make iced tea or sun tea with your Libre Tea glass.
Making Sun Tea
Sun tea is probably the easiest way to make tea one could imagine – although it requires patience and most of all, sunlight! With summer 2015 approaching fast, it’s the perfect time to get in gear to enjoy some sun tea. Because the tea leaves and water are warmed gently by the sun, they impart a different flavor to the resulting brew – less bitter, maybe “lighter” in flavor. I find it makes some teas a bit more floral. My favorite selection for sun tea is classic English Breakfast Teas.
Making sun tea in the Libre is a breeze. Simply follow the normal instructions for loading the Libre with tea of your choice and cold water, and leave it in a sunny spot! Best results will definitely be achieved outdoors, although if you have a particularly sunny window that can work too. How long it will take depends on how you prefer your tea and the intensity of the sunlight, so try experimenting with different duration to see what produces the best results for you! Generally at least 4-6 hours in good sunlight is a good baseline.
Loading your tea into the filter and inverting the Libre might be the best bet if you plan to store your sun tea for later use. It can become bitter if the leaves are left in the tea for too long, and the process of making sun tea means they will be in contact for a long time no matter what
Once you’ve got your sun tea, it is a perfect candidate for making into iced tea! The moderate temperature of the sun tea lends it well to cooling quickly, so just pop some ice into your Libre or toss the whole thing into the fridge until its chilled.
Making Iced Tea with the Libre
If you’ve already made sun tea, you’re more or less ready to have iced tea. But if you plan to make iced tea without the aid of the sun, there are a few easy ways to get iced tea with the help of your Libre.
All you really need to do is make tea as you would normally with your Libre and then chill the results! There are two options for chilling your ice tea: either by putting ice into the bottle, or by putting the bottle into a fridge. If your opting for the first method, fill the glass with brewed tea leaving space for ice cubes, add ice cubes – it’s easy with Libres wide mouth –and enjoy. You may want to make the tea a little stronger than usual if you plan to use ice as the ice will further dilute the brew.
Whether you are chilling with ice or in the fridge, you’ll want to wait awhile after you first make the tea to let it cool down before adding ice or putting it into the fridge. Especially if you use boiling water, the heat will instantly melt any ice and diminish its chilling effect, or raise the temperature of your fridge substantially, running up your bill and possibly even spoiling some goods.
Cold Brews
One of my favorite types of tea is a South American brew called mate. Mate is actually best made (in my opinion) through “cold brew” techniques, where no heat is used. I simply soak the loose leaves in cold or room temperature water for many hours or even days. The result is a delicious (and highly caffeinated – depending on brewing length) tea which gives me a great boost throughout the day.
Cold brew techniques can be used on many types of tea and even coffee. Investigate if your favorite tea is a selection for cold brew!
Stay Hydrated!
Tea is a great to start the day off with a kick, sip throughout the day and help you stay hydrated! There is no substitute for drinking water, but tea is a very close second. For more on the importance of staying hydrated, check out the Hydration Anywhere feature “The Importance of Drinking Water.”
Author Jacob Hatch. For more from Jacob on all things hydration and water related, check out the Hydration Anywhere blog.