Sweet iced tea help

[UltraMother]

I have never been able to recreate the sweet iced tea that I had in Florida many moons ago. I don't know if it's the brewing time, or the proportions of sugar:tea:water or what. If you are a southern mama, or just an iced tea pro, tell me how you make yours, please! :)

[MudPies]

Put 4-5tea bags and water in kettle until it boils. While waiting put sugar 1/2 to 1 cup or more in pitcher with water like 1/4 full. After tea boils let it sit for a few, add to pitcher and stir. Add more sugar if needed, pour over ice in glass.

[abbiroads]

I boil the water then brew in a bowl with about 4 teabags for 10 min. Add a bunch of sugar to the hot tea, stir until dissolved. Pour over ice and stir.

[Kiara.I]

Boil the water WITH the sugar, then brew the tea in that.

[Domina]

Kentucky Girl Recipe

Fill your kettle and bring the water to a boil.
Add 8-10 teabags (yes, we brew it strong, here)
Remove the kettle from the heat and let it brew 12-15 minutes
Put 1 cup of sugar in the bottom of your pitcher.
Add the tea and stir till well-blended.
Add ice, fill with extra cold water as needed.

[AngelaVA]

Some people add a little lemon juice too.

[JellyBean]

We make sweet tea daily. I just add one family size teabag to my kettle and boil. Add about 1 1/2 C of sugar to a large pitcher and pour in tea from kettle. I then add more water to the kettle with the same tea bag and boil again to fill pitcher since one kettle doesn't quite fill the pitcher.

[celestial princess]

IME boiling the bags with the water makes it bitter :shrug boil any amount of cold water. Remove from heat and toss 8-10 tea bags in. Add 1 cup sugar to a gallon pitcher and fill about 1/3 with very cold water. Stir to dissolve. The tea needs to steep for at least 15 mins, but if you don't have that much time, you can just leave the tea bags in the tea, in the pitcher. Other wise, take them out. Add the tea to the pitcher, then fill the pitcher the rest of the way with very cold water or ice, but only if you know the ice doesn't have any kind of funky taste. Also, I like it less sweet than many, so if you're looking for that super sweet southern taste, up to a cup and a half of sugar is the way to go. :)

[UltraMother]

So the original boiled amount of water doesn't really matter? It's just enough to brew the tea?

[gpsings]

Add the sugar when it's hot.

[PDX Mommy]

Not sure if this was posted already, but the secret to smooth sweet tea is adding a pinch of baking soda while the bags are steeping. ;) Works like a charm!

[4MKfam]

:shifty **DISCLAIMER: I am a total Northerner. Still a newbie at this "sweet tea" thing. Just sayin'. YMMV**
I just discovered refrigerator iced tea.
1) In a quart canning jar, put in four tea bags and fill with a quart or so of cold water.
2) Put the cap on the jar
3) Let it sit in the fridge overnight
4) Next day, dump the tea in a pitcher, discard the bags (...:shifty :doh).
5) Add a quart of cold water and/or ice
6) Sweeten as desired. I usually sweeten it by the glass b/c dh prefers white sugar, I use lemon flavored stevia drops (:shifty see, told 'ya I was a Northerner.)

[MudPies]

So the original boiled amount of water doesn't really matter? It's just enough to brew the tea?


correct. to tweak the strength of the tea to your liking, either steep longer/shorter or add less/more water.:yes

[celestial princess]

So the original boiled amount of water doesn't really matter? It's just enough to brew the tea?

Right :yes it's the final tea:water ratio that's important - you dilute the strength of 8-10 tea bags into a gallon of water, regardless of how much water you use to steep initially.

[SouthPaw]

we use a large pitcher, 3 family size bags of tea, and 1.5 cups of sugar. :) boil the water in a kettle, pour it into the pitcher w/ the sugar, stir. add the tea bags and steep, then top off w/ cold water.

[poleidopy]

Dude, I've lived in the South for 9 years now and *still* can't recreate sweet tea. If I want it, I send DH to McDonalds and get one of those huge $1 sweet teas w/no ice, then I add ice at home. :shifty :O Maybe one of the suggestions in this thread will help me make decent tea.:rockon it's worth a try. :yes

[everydaygrace]

I agree with the method of adding sugar while hot. That's what makes the difference in taste between southern sweet tea or just iced tea that's sweetened.

[RubySlippers]

#1 Buy Lipton loose leaf tea, it's far superior to the ground up mess they put in bags.
#2 Brew 3 heaping teaspoons in 8 cups water
I brew it in a (dedicated to tea only) coffee machine :shifty but you can brew it in a pot on the stove.
#3 Get out a 2 1/4 quart pitcher. Pour a little cool water in the bottom and add 1 1/4- 1 1/2 c. sugar. This is so the hot water doesn't scorch the sugar. :shrug3
#4 Add brewed tea (strained if you do it in a pot) to the pitcher and stir the sugar and liquid mixture. It will dissolve nicely.
#5 Fill the pitcher to the spout with cold water and stir with a big spoon.
#6 Pour a cup of your own before it disappears before your very eyes and people are begging you to brew more. ;)

[mrsd]

Also, use Lussianne (sp?) brand tea...it does make a differernce.

[light of mine]

we use a large pitcher, 3 family size bags of tea, and 1.5 cups of sugar. :) boil the water in a kettle, pour it into the pitcher w/ the sugar, stir. add the tea bags and steep, then top off w/ cold water.

I am so glad you put the bolded. I have only ever bought the family-sized tea bags, and when everybody kept on and on about using 8 to 10 tea bags, I was very confused and wondering what kind of bitter nasty tea everyone was making :giggle.

[PrincessAnika]

not southern but my moms recipe - boil ~3qts water to rolling boil, turn off heat and add 4-5 teabags (she usually uses lipton). let sit one hr, put 3/4c sugar (more if you like more, or less, to suit taste) in bottom of 1gal pitcher. remove tea bags and squeeze out excess, dump tea in pitcher, stir, add water to fill and refridgerate. serve over ice if not cold when wanted. can also add lemon to pitcher with the water.

[UltraMother]

Dude, I've lived in the South for 9 years now and *still* can't recreate sweet tea. If I want it, I send DH to McDonalds and get one of those huge $1 sweet teas w/no ice, then I add ice at home. :shifty :O Maybe one of the suggestions in this thread will help me make decent tea.:rockon it's worth a try. :yes

McD's sweet iced tea is completely unacceptable. I had one a few weeks ago to try it, and there's no way they use real sugar. :sadno

[relizabeth]

Yes, do use Luzianne if you want authentic sweet tea.

For a gallon, boil 3 quarts water. Add 3 family-size tea bags, then 2 cups sugar. Let it sit 20 minutes. Pour into your pitcher and fill with cold water/ice until it reaches a gallon.

:)

---------- Post added at 09:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 PM ----------

The alternate "recipe" is: drive to nearest Lee's Chicken. (http://www.leesfamousrecipe.com/) Buy 1 gallon sweet tea. Serve over ice. :)