Southern Sweet Tea
Southern Sweet Tea is made by freshly brewing a black tea base, adding sugar while it's still hot, chilling, adding to a pitcher with an equal amount of water and then serving over ice. A refreshing hot weather staple!
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- large glass measuring cup
- wooden spoon
- 1/2 gallon pitcher
Ingredients
- 8 cups (236g) water
- 4 regular-size black tea bags We use Lipton.
- 3/4 cup (147g) sugar (You can use less or more. I like my tea fairly sweet, but not too sweet.)
- lemon slices optional
Instructions
- Add 4 cups of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and add four regular-size black tea bags to the water.
- Let tea bags steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove tea bags and discard.
- Add sugar to the tea.
- Stir until sugar is dissolved. This will be the base of our tea.
- Let tea cool to room temperature for about 1 hour.
- After tea base has cooled, add 4 cups of water to a 1/2 gallon pitcher.
- Pour tea base into the pitcher with the water and stir.
- Pour tea into glass filled with ice. Add lemon and enjoy!
Notes
Sweet tea should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.