— Really, anything goes—if you like it, it will probably be delicious. In a segment from her eponymous show Martha Stewart Living, Stewart mixed together several types of tea, from herbal to black, for what she called Summer Iced Tea. These compounds also contribute to your brew’s taste and mouthfeel. If you've used tea bags, don't forget to squeeze the liquid from those tea bags back into the cold-brewed tea. However, if tea is prepared at a low temperature slowly, the tannin and caffeine will hardly dissolve into the water, and theanine, an amino acid, can be accentuated. Ingredients: Purified Water, Brewed Organic Green Tea, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). But what does science say about getting the most out of your brew? However, all teas are a good source of L-theanine, caffeine and catechins. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. Low pH (acidic) water extracts bioactives better than high pH (basic) water. By steeping tea in cold water instead, the tannins are mostly kept at bay and the resulting cold-brew tea is so much smoother and sweeter than its … — Whichever type of tea you choose, the longer you brew, the more goodness in each cup. Martha is right about one thing though: avoid anything smoky or too overpowering. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. Loose leaf may contain more bioactives because they use higher quality leaves. I like to let it go between 8 and 12 hours, but if you leave it for as much as 48 hours it will still be fine. Contains natural source of electrolytes with EGCG, tea antioxidants, to help maintain overall good health. Caffeine is a stimulant that activates the central nervous system. It rarely occurs in nature and is found almost exclusively in true teas — white, green, oolong, and black teas — which come from the leaves of the same evergreen bush, Camilla sinensis. I'm going to reveal something here that I don't usually like to talk about. The longer you brew the more bioactives you get, but also the stronger the taste. So green tea has been the focus of most studies of the health benefits. Catechins are altered by oxidisation, so levels are highest in green and white teas. Instead, make a simple syrup of equal parts sugar and water to add to the tea once you're ready to serve. While the revelation may not come as a shock to most of the nation, any true son or daughter of the South can tell you that not liking sweet tea is akin to not addressing your elders as Sir or Ma'am, or not tipping your hat to the person parked at the stop sign opposite you, or not exclaiming, "well, bless her heart," at the revelation of some tragical occurrence in the life of a Southern heroine. Green tea. I tried that and—sorry Martha—it was just okay. And that's that I, a Tennessee–Alabama native, grew up hating iced tea. More antioxidants and less caffeine means green tea is typically considered the healthier option. Postdoctoral Fellow (Human Molecular Nutrition), School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Senior Lecturer in Food Science & Human Nutrition, University of Newcastle.