How to Make Iced Tea Taste 10x Better

There's something magical about sipping a glass of iced tea on a scorching summer day. The glass glistening with condensation, the satisfying clink of ice cubes and the refreshing burst of flavor with each sip are the ultimate antidote to the sweltering heat. And in the peak of iced drink season, we've uncovered an amazing little trick that lets you sweeten your tea and add a fun hit of flavor too. And no, it doesn't involve reaching for that sugar jar. The best ingredient to sweeten iced tea is jam .

This iced tea hack only requires two ingredients: jam and tea. That's it. Use any kind of bagged or loose-leaf tea and any kind of store-bought (or homemade , okay over-achiever!) jam that's sitting patiently in your fridge, just waiting for its star turn. It's easy, it's refreshing and the list of possible flavor combos is as long as a summer day.

Related: 17 Small-Batch Jam Recipes That Don't Require Canning

How to Sweeten Iced Tea with Fruit Jam

Start by brewing your tea in a mug with 6 ounces of hot water and about a tablespoon of jam (more if you like it super sweet). Brew the tea a bit stronger than you normally would—basically, you want to use two tea bags instead of one. Wait until the tea cools (or stick in the fridge to speed up the process), then pour over ice, sit back and relax. Once you get the hang of this and find a flavor combo you like, you can easily scale it up to make a big batch of tea to stash in the fridge or to serve at a party.

Related: The Super-Smart Blender Trick We Wish We'd Known About Sooner

What I Thought About Fruit Jam Iced Tea

The last thing I want to do when it's 90 degrees outside is make tea. To top it all off, I'm not really a tea person, so I was doubtful I'd be a fan of this tip. However, I do love a good iced drink (especially if it's sweetened) and I love nothing more than coming up with endless combinations of flavors.

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The subtle sweetness of the jam mixed into the glass was not only tasty but it was also pretty—the jam creates its own little garnish when you pour it over ice into your glass and the little bits of fruit make each sip a bit more interesting. The best part of this hack is that you get to be the flavor mixologist and use whatever you have on hand.

This is one drink hack that I'll definitely be keeping in my permanent file. Maybe I'm a tea lover after all?

Up next: The Best Way to Sweeten Iced Tea, According to Ina Garten