#54 Iced Coffee

I became an avid daily coffee drinker when my 13 year old started kindergarten and we officially became a homeschool family. It turns out that the only thing that was keeping be awake during the previous 5 years was constant activity. When I had to sit down on a comfy couch and read aloud for long periods of time...forget it....I just wanted to curl up and take a nap. So I started drinking coffee and have now daily for the last eight years. My husband then picked up the habit not long after and we now share a love of coffee. During most of the year I like it hot...really hot. In fact, I make fun of my hubs when he drops an ice cube to cool his down...ha, ha.... but in the summer I like it cold....really cold. In the past, I have just brewed a pot, put it in the fridge and added ice, cream and sugar.....but I thought there must be a better and yummier way. After looking on the internet, I found what I was looking for and it came from one of my favorite foodies/ Food Network Celebs...Ree Drummond or commonly known as The Pioneer Women...I love her! Ree and I have more then a few things in common and one of them is a love for iced coffee. So on to the recipe.

Iced Coffee
1/2 pound of ground coffee
4 quarts of water (one gallon)
Ice
Cream, milk or half and half
Sugar to taste
Chocolate syrup (homemade)
For Vietnamese Iced Coffee: Sweetened Condensed Milk (homemade)

First measure and add your ground coffee to a one gallon pitcher.

 

Add the one gallon of cold water...or as much water as you can fit in the one gallon pitcher. And stir.

Make sure all the grounds are in contact with the water. Cover and let steep on the counter for at least 8 hours.

After the time has passed, place a fine wire sieve over another gallon pitcher and line with a few sheets of paper towel. And pour the coffee mixture through the "filter."

 

 

 

 

What you will have then is a coffee concentrate. Refrigerate and serve over ice. Keeps for 3 weeks to a month, tightly covered.

 

 

To make a yummy, flavored iced coffee feel free to mix in what pleases you.

 



 

Add a spoon full of sweetened condensed milk and a splash of milk, cream or half and half to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

 

I'm a mocha girl, so I add my freshly made chocolate syrup along with half and half and sugar to taste.

 

However you choose to flavor it....it is sure to be yummy!