Mmm, coffee! Hot or cold and anywhere in between, I will drink it. Those of you that know me, know my coffee cup is always close by. In the summer, a good iced coffee is my thing. But since iced coffee is brewed hot and poured over ice, it can end up tasting watery or bitter. But I have found a solution: cold brew coffee! This method guarantees a smooth cup every time. Use it to make ice cubes and no more watery taste. The cold brew concentrate keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, but I doubt that it will last that long. Save your grounds for the DIY coffee scrub (recipes follow)
Cold brew coffee is very simple to make. All you need is a few basics and time. Brewing time varies with the coffee ratio you use. Some recipes call for an 1:8 coffee to water ratio to make the concentrate. Others use less coffee to water and brew longer, less water and shorter brew time. You add water, sugar and creamer, as desired when it's time to drink it.
I used to sell The Gourmet cupboard products but I am no longer a rep from them, but I still like their mixes. For this recipe, I used one package of Carmel Cream whole coffee beans from The Gourmet Cupboard (a little over 2 oz.) to 3 cups of water and brewed it about 20 hours. It came out wonderful, mild flavor and no bitterness.
What you will need:
Note: I have been using ground coffee with success. Just strain through a regular coffee filter.
Directions:
- Grind your coffee beans using the most coarse setting. You will want something like breadcrumbs or raw sugar, any finer your brew will become cloudy and may become bitter.
- Place coffee in your jar and pour water over it. Stir gently making sure there are no clumps of coffee.
- Put lid on and let steep for about 20 hours.
- Strain slowly into a large bowl to remove the larger grounds. Next use two pieces of cheesecloth cut to fit the strainer and strain back into the jar. Let gravity work here, pressing or squeezing the coffee grounds tends to extracts bitter flavors.
- Store coffee concentrate in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To serve: Pour about 1/2 cup of the cold brew over ice and top with 1/2 cup of cold water.
I know you will enjoy a ice cold glass with the upcoming hot days of summer. What flavored coffee is your favorite? I'd love to here how your cold brew turned out. Leave me a comment below.
Ever wanted something to do with your left over coffee grounds? Try this coffee scrub. If you use flavored coffee like I did you get a scented scrub! You can also add cinnamon, vanilla, mint, lavender, etc. The possibilities are endless! Use about 1 tsp each.
DIY Coffee Scrub
Tip: Let your cold brew coffee grounds dry out before making this. Then regrind to a medium grind. Makes a great handmade gift!
1 comment
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