Sweet Tea is a Perfect Elixir of Summer
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Sweet Tea is a refreshing elixir of summer. When the temperatures soar, there’s nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of sweet iced tea on the porch. Here’s our idea of the perfect recipe.
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I’ve made sweet tea in so many ways, I can’t count them all. I experimented until I found the perfect balance of sweet and tea—for my husband’s tastes, that is, and for friends and family, too.
The amount of time to steep the sweet tea is the greatest variant. I’ve read recipes that merely swish the tea bags in the hot water to steep it for as long as 20 minutes.
Do You Dunk Your Teabags?
My dear Southern friend, who lives in Alabama, instructed me early on never to, ever dunk the tea bags. I couldn’t remember why she said not to, but I didn’t because she would know. She lives in the South!
But curiosity got the better of me… and I looked it up. And, of course, she was right. You should never dunk and squeeze the teabag. There’s a scientific reason why.
The U.K.’s SpoonUniversity.com says, “If you do this, chances are you’re compromising your cuppa. The loose leaves in a teabag contain tannins, a naturally occurring class of compounds with astringent properties. These little devils are also responsible for causing the tea to stain your teeth. When you squeeze out your bag, you’re releasing the dregs where the tannins are most concentrated straight into your tea, making for a bitter drink.”
So now I know… and so do you!
What You Need to Make Sweet Tea
It’s so simple to make Sweet Tea. Here’s all you need.
- Boiling water
- Individual tea bags
- Sugar
Here’s how I make Sweet Tea.
Which tea is best for iced tea?
Black tea is most commonly used in iced tea, but white, green, and oolong tea are also great choices.
More Summer Recipes You May Like
- No Churn Irish Coffee Ice Cream
- Iced Cold Brew Coffee with Homemade Vanilla Creamer
- How to Make Whipped Coffee
- Iced Cold Brew Coffee with Homemade Vanilla Creamer
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Sweet Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 individual size tea bags (black tea is most common but green, white, and oolong are also good choices)
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 quart cold water
Instructions
- Add 4 individual size tea bags into a 1-quart size glass measure. Boil water and add 2 cups to the glass measure.
- Let tea steep 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in your pitcher, add sugar and 1 cup of cold water. Stir vigorously until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Once the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and discard. Add tea to the pitcher with the sugar water. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add cold water until it reaches the top of your pitcher.
- Refrigerator and serve over ice and garnish, if you like, with slices of lemon and mint.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.