Okay, so I wanted to make some black tea, but not just any black tea. I wanted to bottle it up, like the kind you see in stores, but homemade. First off, I gathered all my stuff. I grabbed some good quality black tea leaves, because that’s the heart of it all, right? Then, I made sure I had plenty of sugar, some lemons for that little zing, and of course, water.

I started by boiling water in a big pot. Once it was bubbling, I threw in the tea leaves. I decided to go a bit stronger on the tea this time, so I let it steep for a good while – maybe like five minutes? It got this really deep, rich color. While that was going on, I juiced a few lemons. I like my tea with a bit of a sour kick, so I juiced maybe three whole lemons.

After the tea was done steeping, I strained out the leaves. I used a fine-mesh strainer because nobody wants leaves in their bottled tea. Then, I stirred in the sugar while the tea was still hot. I kept adding and tasting until it was just right – sweet, but not too sweet, you know?

Mixing and Cooling

• Next up, I poured in the lemon juice. This is where it really started to smell amazing. I stirred it all together, making sure everything was nicely combined.
• Then came the waiting game. I had to let the tea cool down completely. I poured it into a big pitcher and just left it on the counter for a while. I was tempted to rush it and put it in the fridge, but I figured it’s better to let it cool naturally.

Once it was cool, I got my bottles ready. I had these neat glass bottles that I washed and sterilized beforehand. I carefully poured the tea into the bottles, making sure not to spill any. I sealed them up tight, and there you have it – homemade bottled black tea!

I stuck them in the fridge to chill. A few hours later, I cracked one open. Man, it tasted good! It was refreshing, a little sweet, a little sour, and all homemade. I felt pretty accomplished, not going to lie. Plus, it was way cheaper than buying it from the store, and I knew exactly what was in it. Definitely making this again!