Anne BralyIced coffee has come a long way since the days of simply adding cream, sugar and ice to the morning’s leftover coffee on a hot summer day.
If you need a caffeine pick-me-up in the afternoon, rather than reaching for a soft drink, try making iced coffee. When you make it with skimmed milk and sweeten it with honey or stevia, you’re adding around 50 calories to your daily caloric intake rather than 150 calories found in most soft drinks. Plus, you’re getting a little calcium with the added milk. So think about this, at the end of a week, you’ve saved yourself 700 calories, assuming you need that one caffeine boost every afternoon.
The appeal of iced coffee is undeniable. Just walk down the drink aisle in any grocery store and you’ll see all kinds of bottled coffees, from Starbucks to Illy and others, waiting to be put on ice.
During the five-year period from 2010 through 2014, U.S. sales of ready-to-drink coffee increased more than 58 percent, from 50.6 million gallons in 2010 to 89.7 million gallons at the end of 2014, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp.
And the U.S. Coffee Report, a publication of market research firm Mintel, says sales are expected to keep rising as high-end consumers look for new ways to enjoy java.
Iced coffee is simple to make at home. There are dozens of ways to make it, but the fat and calories can add up if you’re not careful.
Cold brewing coffee is an easy but time-consuming method of making iced coffee; still, it’s worth the extra work, producing a full-bodied coffee flavor without the bitterness or acidity found in many hot-brewed coffees.
You’ll need to save leftover coffee from your morning routine to make ice cubes, then begin the cold-brew process before you leave for work or go to bed at night, letting coffee grounds steep in cold water – preferably filtered. The rest is up to your personal preference, adding whatever flavors you like. Some suggestions include:
* Stir it with a cinnamon stick.
* A squirt or two of caramel syrup.
* A sprinkle of cardamom when you grind your beans.
* A spoonful of sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar or sugar substitute.
* Dark chocolate syrup – it’s good for you, too.
* French vanilla or hazelnut creamer rather than milk.
And here’s a recipe:
Iced Coffee
Leftover coffee (for ice cubes)
1/3 cup medium-coarse ground coffee
1 1/2 cups filtered water
Coffee ice cubes
2 teaspoons sugar or stevia, or to taste
Milk or cream (optional)
The day before, put leftover coffee from your morning java in ice cube trays and freeze.
To make the cold-brewed coffee: Place the ground coffee in a glass jar, add water and stir to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight. Strain the coffee through a large-size paper coffee filter, a fine sieve or a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cold-brewed coffee can be refrigerated in a covered jar for up to 24 hours.
Fill a tall glass with coffee ice cubes. Pour in the cold brewed coffee. Sweeten to taste and add milk as desired. This recipe is easily doubled.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.