Steam your favorite loose tea then let it steep slowly for a deeply flavorful and lightly sweet iced tea.

As the days warm back up, we love a tall glass of tea in the afternoon. It’s a fantastic way to take a mid-day break or to mark the happy hour. Because iced tea, lightly sweetened, with a little mint and citrus, is as happy-making as it gets.

We’re using the Dona’s loose leaf blend, “The Field” with chamomile, mint and fennel. Add a squeeze of lemon and a little simple syrup and it’s pretty magical. Of course, this recipe works with your own favorite blend, so experiment away!

What you need for cold brewed iced tea

Makes 8 cups of tea

• 4 tablespoons of loose leaf tea (or 8-10 bags)

• 9 cups of filtered water (1 to steam the tea, 4 for steeping, and 4 to add later)

• A few cubes of ice

• A cold brewed tea filter or cotton tea filter

• Simple syrup made from equal parts sugar and water (make as much as you want, but at least 1/8 cup to be safe)

• A few lemon wedges

• A pitcher or large mason jar for brewing and serving

How to make it

• Add one cup of water to a kettle or shallow pan and heat to boiling.

• Add the loose tea to your tea filter, seal it, and place it in a cup.

• Pour enough hot water over the tea to submerge it and steep for 3 minutes. This quick hot steep will allow your tea to be more flavorful, especially if you’re using more subtle spices. If you’re using a strong, black tea, you could probably skip this part.

• After 3 minutes, add enough ice to cool the liquid and stop the brewing. Remove the tea bag, which should be cool to the touch.

• Place the bag in your pitcher or mason jar, and add 4 cups of cold, filtered water.

• Let steep for at least 4 hours, but we recommend 8 hours or over night.

• Make the simple syrup by heating the water and then adding the same amount of sugar to the hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then set aside to cool. We like to make extra and store in a jar with a pour spout. And you can make flavored simple syrup for all kinds of uses.

• After the tea has steeped, remove the tea bag and compost the spent tea.

• Add the final 4 cups of cold, filtered water and sweeten with the simple syrup to taste.

• Squeeze your lemon right in the pitcher, or set aside the wedges for self-serve.