A classic Southern recipe, gifted to me by a new friend, Allie. Her philosophy: No one makes better tea than the South and why is that? Because a sweet Southern belle has put love into each glass. Sounds like a good philosopy to me!
Ingredients
8-10 tea bags, any kind you like (we recommend Lipton Iced Tea Brew)
Small pot of water, with a lid that fits well
1 cup of sugar (you can use Splenda for sugar-free tea)
1 gallon-sized pitcher
Preparation
Add sugar to water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. It doesn’t matter how much water you boil, just make sure it gets really hot and bubbly.
Get the tea bags ready so that when the water comes to a boil you can toss them in. As soon as you get the tea bags in, the water may act like it’s about to boil over. The best solution to this issue is to add the tea bags with one hand and then take the pot off the stove with your other hand.
Cover the pot and let the tea steep for as long as possible. It will be good in 20 minutes, but even better in an hour or two. Then pour the tea syrup (that’s what it’s actually called when it’s made in this fashion) into your gallon-sized pitcher and fill with water, making sure to gently squeeze the tea bags to get as much tea as possible into the water.
Your Southern sweet tea is ready! Pour into a glass with ice and serve. Some people will keep this in the fridge for several days; but unlike unsweetened tea, it’s only good for about 2 days. After that, it’s time to make a fresh batch.
Our thoughts
You don’t have to be a true Southern belle to make this for your family and enjoy a nice glass of it on your porch!
