“This summer cold-brewed coffee is all the rage – the slower brewing process means the coffee has a sweeter flavour, and is deliciously refreshing. I’m not talking about the cold coffee, which has long been associated with large coffee-shop chains, whipped cream and loads of sugar. I’m going to be cold-brewing coffee in a big batch, storing it in my fridge and pouring a glass over loads of ice instead of my usual hot morning coffee. I’ll be drinking mine black, but add a little sugar and a dash of milk or cream, if you prefer. Here’s a lovely article on all the ins and outs of cold-brewing, and a how-to, which doesn’t require buying anything to cold-brew yourself – you’ve got all the equipment in your kitchen already!
6 steps to making your own cold-brewed coffee:
- Set your grinder to its coarsest setting – you’re looking for a consistency similar to that of breadcrumbs.
- Take a sterilised jar and place your grounds at the bottom of the jar. Cover them with cold water with a roughly 1:8 ratio of coffee to water.
- Stir gently until the water and coffee grounds are combined, cover and leave to steep for 18 – 24 hours (this could be in- or outside of the fridge).
- After the coffee has brewed, strain it into a large bowl through a sieve to remove the larger grounds. Discard these and then, tucking a muslin cloth or a few sheets of paper towel into the cleaned sieve, strain back into the jar.
- Repeat two or three times, until there is no murky residue at the bottom of your jar. If you can’t sift out all the residue/grinds, don’t worry – it means that your grind-setting was probably too fine. Practice will make perfect!
- Serve over ice with milk and sugar (or without – whatever your preference is). You can keep the brew in your refrigerator for up to a month (due to its low acidity levels), so serve up for up to a month whenever you’re in the mood!”
By Claire Ferrandi, Food & Home Entertaining Food Editor
