Ina Garten Shares Her Famous Herbal Iced Tea Recipe (& It Has an Unexpected Ingredient)

This week in Food Editor Things, I learned that both Martha Stewart and Ina Garten have cult-favorite iced tea recipes. I tried Martha’s Red Iced Tea at Maman, since her limited-time summer menu includes the iconic sipper. (It’s super floral, earthy and tart, FYI.) I haven’t made Ina’s yet, but she recently shared a video of her preparing it that makes me want to grab the nearest pitcher and fill ’er up.

“A couple of neighbors are stopping by this afternoon, and they told me not to make anything to drink,” Garten wrote in the Instagram video’s caption. “I can’t help myself! We used to make this really easy iced tea at the store—no caffeine and naturally sweetened with apple juice. It’s so refreshing, especially during a heat wave!”

The video then shows a glass of ice being filled with the tea, a crimson elixir that looks positively thirst-quenching on a summer day. “It’s so easy, three ingredients and boiling water,” Garten says.

She then begins preparing the drink, an equal mix of Lemon Zinger and Red Zinger teas. She steeps the bags in hot water, then sweetens the mixture with her special ingredient: apple juice.

If this seems like a strange combination to you, hear me out. I was a Starbucks barista back in the day, and one of my coworkers put me on substituting apple juice for lemonade in my Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade. It was unexpectedly delicious—not as tart as the standard, which I thought would be a con in my book, but it’s also rounded in its sweetness—slightly tart and more nuanced than the straight-up sour citrus alternative. Considering both Zinger tea varieties are hibiscus-based like Passion Tango, I’m betting Garten’s signature tea has a similar flavor.

The recipe is a cinch to put together, even if your guests are unexpected. It serves six to eight people in one fell swoop, so it’s great for dinner parties and cookouts alike. You could even make it ahead and let it chill overnight, so you don’t dilute it further with ice while it’s still warm.

Here’s the full recipe, which was first published in Garten’s cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Family Style.