Description
Refreshing homemade mango iced tea with fresh mango syrup, black tea, and lemon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups water, divided
- 4 black tea bags (or 4 tablespoons loose leaf black tea)
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
- Ice cubes, for serving
- Mango slices or lemon wedges, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine Mango and Water: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped mangoes and 1 cup of water.
- Simmer Until Soft: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the mangoes are very soft and easily mashed with a fork. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Mash the Mangoes: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Using a fork or potato masher, thoroughly mash the mangoes until you have a pulpy mixture.
- Strain the Syrup: Place a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander over a heatproof bowl. Pour the mango mixture into the sieve and let it strain for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Add Sugar and Lemon Juice: Once the syrup has strained, discard the pulp. Return the strained mango syrup to the saucepan. Add the sugar and lemon juice.
- Simmer Again: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes. The syrup should be slightly thickened and glossy.
- Cool Completely: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mango syrup cool completely. Once cooled, transfer the syrup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week.
- Heat the Water: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan.
- Steep the Tea: Place the tea bags (or loose leaf tea in a tea infuser) in a heatproof pitcher or large glass measuring cup. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
- Steep for 3-5 Minutes: Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired strength.
- Remove Tea Bags: Remove the tea bags (or tea infuser) from the pitcher. If using loose leaf tea, make sure to strain out all the tea leaves.
- Cool Slightly: Let the tea cool slightly at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes.
- Combine Tea and Syrup: In a large pitcher, combine the cooled black tea and the mango syrup. Start with about ½ cup of mango syrup and adjust to taste.
- Stir Well: Stir the mixture well to ensure the mango syrup is evenly distributed throughout the tea.
- Add Ice: Fill the pitcher with ice cubes.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the iced tea and adjust the sweetness and mango flavor as needed. If it’s not sweet enough, add more mango syrup. If it’s too sweet, add a little more lemon juice or water.
- Serve Immediately: Pour the mango iced tea into glasses filled with ice.
- Garnish (Optional): Garnish with mango slices or lemon wedges for a beautiful presentation.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sugar in the mango syrup to your preference.
- Experiment with different types of tea, such as green tea, white tea, or herbal tea.
- Add fresh herbs like mint or basil for a refreshing twist.
- Top off each glass of iced tea with sparkling water or club soda for a fizzy drink.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mango syrup for a spicy kick.
- Pour the mango iced tea into popsicle molds and freeze for a refreshing summer treat.
- Store leftover mango iced tea in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- The type of mango you use will affect the flavor of the syrup.
- While lemon juice is recommended, lime juice can also be used.
- You can make the mango syrup ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes