Q: Is it safe to drink iced tea?

A: Recently, iced tea was linked to 14 cases of salmonella contamination in Arizona because of a dirty ice tea machine. Tea can become contaminated at any time from harvest to drinking glass, including harvesting, processing, transporting, steeping and storage.

While tea leaves can become contaminated with coliform bacteria, the most probable cause of the introduction of bacteria to tea is through errors in food handling. To support this, the Tea Association showed that tea brewed in a clean urn at 175 degrees or higher and stored at room temperature had no detectable coliform counts during the first 16 hours of storage. Thus, if the tea is brewed at an appropriate temperature, storage conditions and/or cleaning and disinfecting of the tea dispenser becomes the primary areas that could lead to contamination.

Here are some recommendations to minimize the risk that may come with drinking iced tea:

¢ Sun tea is not recommended. The practice of making “sun tea” by steeping the bags in a container of water in the sun may be a higher risk than brewing tea at high temperatures because it provides an environment where bacteria are more likely to survive and multiply.

¢ Iced tea should be brewed at 195 degrees for three to five minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

¢ Store tea bags or loose tea in a dark, cool and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not store tea bags in the refrigerator. Do not store tea in containers above the stove because it is too humid and warm. You can store tea bags in a freezer container, within the freezer.

¢ Never hold finished brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature. The recommendation is to make only enough for immediate use.

Brew-in-the-fridge iced tea

1 quart cold water in a container

4 or 5 tea bags

Refrigerator for two hours or overnight (the longer the tea steeps, the better the taste.) Remove the tea bags by squeezing them gently between two large spoons. Add fruit sections, sugar, sweetener or ice, as desired. Keep tea refrigerated. Enjoy!

Brewed iced tea with fresh mint

Here’s a quick and fairly foolproof way to enjoy tea within 10 minutes or less – that includes the time you’re waiting for it to brew. For each 8-ounce cup of tea:

Heat half the water required to brew the tea to make “double strength” tea. For example, heat 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of the 8 ounces (1 cup) of water needed to make one cup of tea. Pour the heated water over the following two ingredients in a tea kettle or other heatproof container. Stir and cover to steep:

One single-serving tea bag or about 1 teaspoon of tea leaves (unless directed otherwise in the directions that come with the tea). You may use either black or green tea.

One tablespoon of coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves that have been washed before chopping. Spearmint works well, though you may want to experiment with other flavors, such as pineapple or orange mint.

Steep for the time specified with the directions for your specific tea. (As a general rule, green teas are steeped for about 3 minutes and black teas from 3 to 5 minutes. Oversteeping makes for a bitter tea.)

Stir, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the mint leaves and tea. (To improve the clearness of the tea, strain a second time through a coffee filter.)

Slowly add the strained tea mixture to the remaining cold water and stir. For example, add to 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of cold water for one cup of tea.

Pour the tea into tall glasses filled with ice cubes. Or, refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve; then add to ice-filled glasses. Fresh tea tastes best – for best flavor, drink within a few hours of preparation.

Zingerade

8 cups boiling water

10 red Zinger tea bags (or Wildberry zinger or Lemon Zinger)

1/3 cup sugar

8 cups prepared lemonade

Pour boiling water over tea bags. Steep five minutes. Remove tea bags by squeezing them gently between two large spoons. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add prepared lemonade to this mixture. Stir. Add ice. Makes 1 gallon. Keep tea refrigerated.

Strawberry kiwi slushy

Crushed ice

2 strawberry kiwi tea bags

2 cups water

1/2 cup strawberries, stems removed (approximately 1/4 pound)

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

Boil water, remove from heat and steep tea bags for five minutes. Place the ice in the blender until it is about three-fourths full. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Drink immediately.