Say Goodbye to Bitter Iced Coffee- Cold Brewed Coffee

Straining Cold Brewed Coffee

I have three issues with iced coffee- first, it's bitter, and second, because it's cold, sugar is not going to dissolve.  It's a rare coffee shop or restaurant that has considered this and readily offers up some simple syrup to help you with this conundrum- rare yes, but not nonexistent (thank you to those establishments that do!).  Finally, my third complaint, which is because I am usually either pregnant or breastfeeding lately, is that I need decaf (for those of you that may not know, it's advisable for pregnant and nursing mothers to not consume a lot of caffeine).  This creates more of a disappointment than a problem- there usually aren't any flavored coffees available at coffee shops that also happen to be decaf.  The sad little decaf supply is usually not getting much love, while the chalkboards explode with exciting flavored options of regular coffee!

But, a few weeks ago, while at Whole Foods, I spotted, drum roll please- Hazelnut Decaf coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My immediate thought was- I can cold brew this and have some flavored decaf!  And because it's cold brewed, it won't be bitter!  Hooray!

So what is cold brewed?  It means you use cold water, and the process takes a little time.  My sister is the person who taught me how to do this, over text message.  'Hey, I want to cold brew some coffee, how do I do that?'  She responded, 'Put it in a pot with some cold water, stir it if you remember, leave it overnight, then strain it.'  To which I responded, 'Do I have to refrigerate it?' Text message back, 'No, not really, but probably yes once you've strained it.'  Well, two little people's bedtimes took priority and I forgot about this, so I did it during the day for 5 hours, and it still worked well!  I used a screen-like strainer for the grounds, and I'd advise straining it twice, otherwise it is a little silt-y.  Will it still be a slightly but bitter?  Yes, because it's unsweetened coffee- but vs. regularly brewed coffee, you'll see a big difference :)  I like mine with a little cream and a few ice cubes.