How to Make Liquid Black Tea Concentrate for Drinks
Black Tea Concentrate made with 3 simple ingredients! If you are a tea lover and looking to buy an iced tea concentrate, you might want to reconsider! It’s so easy to make your own, and it’s free from artificial sweeteners.
Your future self will thank you for making this Black Tea Concentrate. It’s perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up and can easily be jazzed up with citrus and other fruit flavors.
I usually like to make my tea concentrate with sugar already added but you can make it unsweetened and add your sweetener in the moment if you like. Let’s make it!
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Black tea concentrate ingredients
All you need to make black tea concentrate is black tea and water! I like to sweeten my concentrate instead of sweetening the tea later, so sugar is an optional third ingredient. If you’re trying to limit added sugar, simply leave it out!
How to make black tea concentrate
We are going to steep A LOT of tea bags in a relatively small amount of water to make tea concentrate. Instead of steeping tea longer, increasing the ratio of tea to water helps get an extra strong tea flavor without it becoming bitter. Steep black tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze them with heat-resistant tongs to release all that black tea flavor. You have the option to sweeten the tea concentrate at this point, or you can do that later. I prefer to use organic cane sugar, but you can use non-organic sugar as well.
Add the tea to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and transfer to a jar.
Boiling the tea helps remove some water, thus making the tea flavor very concentrated. We’ll only need to use a small amount of the concentrate to make a cup of tea!
How to prepare a drink with tea concentrate
To enjoy a refreshing iced tea using your homemade tea concentrate:
- Fill a glass with the desired amount of ice. I prefer to have too much ice rather than too little. I LOVE using this ice tray for hassle-free homemade ice.
- Add 3 tbsp concentrate to a glass and 1 cup of cold water. For a stronger cup of tea, use equal parts tea concentrate to water. Use more water for a lighter tea taste.
- Stir and enjoy!
This tea concentrate also makes great tea lattes!
- Add a splash of your favorite milk (or milk substitute) and sweetener (if desired) to your iced tea and stir!
Can I make a tea concentrate with any other type of tea?
Yes! Chai tea concentrate can be made using the same method and is the easiest way to make a chai tea latte! You can also make green tea concentrate using the same number of tea bags and the same amount of water used in this post.
Storage Instructions
To store your concentrate for future use, allow it to cool to room temperature, then pour it into an airtight container such as a mason jar. Tea concentrate can remain in the fridge for up to three weeks but should be used within a week for the best taste.
Tried this recipe?
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More tea recipes
Black Tea Concentrate
Black Tea Concentrate made with 3 simple ingredients! If you are a tea lover and looking to buy tea concentrate, you might want to reconsider! It’s so easy to make your own!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Instructions
- Steep tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, gently press tea bags against the side of the container to release tea flavor. Add sugar at this time if using.
- Transfer mixture to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, allow to cool and transfer to a jar.
- Enjoy within 2 weeks.
To prepare a glass of iced tea:
- Fill glass with ice.
- Add 3 tbsp tea concentrate and 1 cup water to a glass.
- Stir and enjoy
Hi there, sorry if this is a silly question, but could you please confirm if the tea concentrate needs to be stored in the refrigerator (not at room temperature)? Thank you so much!
Hi Terry, no apologies necessary! Yes, you should store it in the fridge. Hope you enjoy it!