The Delicious Iced Tea Martha Stewart Always Has Prepared

In the summer, my husband makes sure we have a constant supply of iced tea. Whenever I see a pot of boiling water on the stove that I haven't put there, I know exactly what he's up to. I used to make sun tea, but not everyone agrees that sun tea is a good idea food-safety wise. He adds a little sugar to the gallon container of tea he makes, and both our son and I love sipping on it too. But after learning about the kind of tea that Martha Stewart keeps handy at her home, I might have to make some additional space in my fridge to accommodate her recipe as well. Stewart posted a throwback video on her Instagram page of a segment from her cooking show where she makes a bright red iced tea, one she always kept in her fridge.

Stewart explained that she makes it by steeping four bags each of Celestial Seasonings brand Red Zinger and Red Raspberry (it's actually called Raspberry Zinger) tea in four cups of boiling water. After about five minutes, she removes the tea bags, adds two more cups of cold water, and pours everything into an ice-filled pitcher. The finished tea is a gorgeous, ruby red color that certainly looks like it's full of vibrant, fruity flavors. And when you look at the ingredients on the two teas she uses, you'll see an array of tasty fruits, leaves, and flavorings. Stewart mentioned that she likes to serve glasses of the tea with mint leaves and slices of citrus fruit. This tea will probably go fast in your house, which is good, because iced tea can actually go bad in the fridge if it sits for too long.

While I haven't yet made Martha Stewart's famous iced tea, you get a good idea of what to expect by studying the labels for the Red Zinger and Raspberry Zinger teas. The former contains red hibiscus, peppermint, wild cherry bark, rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, licorice, natural flavors, and lemon verbena. The raspberry one contains hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, roasted chicory, blackberry leaves, natural raspberry flavor, and raspberry leaves. Both herbal tea blends are tart and bright, with no caffeine, meaning you can sip away on long, lazy summer days.

I've tasted Red Zinger tea in the past and can attest that it's a very good and refreshing tea (even when made hot) with tons of juicy flavors. I didn't add sugar to my cup but found I didn't really need any because the tea was so flavorful. Stewart didn't add any sweetener to her red iced tea either, but if you wanted some sweetness, you could add granulated sugar to the steeped tea so it dissolves evenly, or stir some honey into the pitcher at the end. Or add some fruit juice to give your iced tea a sweet Southern boost.

Both Red Zinger and Raspberry Zinger from Celestial Seasonings are widely available at supermarkets, but the brand also makes other fruit teas like Peach Passion, Cinnamon Apple, and Lemon Zinger. You could use Stewart's tea-making method and blend any varieties you want to make your own signature flavor. Just note that you might not get that beautiful, shocking red color in the finished tea.