The drink of the South seems to have some competition when it comes to recipes for it. For example, the classic “No one makes Sweet Tea like Grandma” sentence! If you are actively searching for a sweet tea recipe that will go down in your family for generations, this might just be it. Not to mention, you can bring sweet tea to all kinds of events, BBQs, beach trips, picnics at the park, and the list goes on. Almost everywhere you go, there will be someone craving an ice-cold glass of sweet tea, and this recipe will have them craving it all of the time.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Long-handled spoon
- 1-gallon pitcher, or multiple smaller pitchers
Ingredients
- 3 family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags), such as Lipton or Luzianne
- 1 cup granulated Sugar
- Ice
- Fresh Mint leaves or lemon slices (optional)
Boil the Water
First, you’ll have to boil water in a small saucepan. You will want to do this over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, you can remove it from the heat.
Steep the Tea
Next, you are going to place the tea bags in the water. Make sure that you dunk the tea bags a few times in the water to fully hydrate. You will then leave the tea bags fully under the water with the strings hanging over the side of the pot for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes have passed, you can remove the tea bags and throw them away.
Add Your Sugar
This is what is going to give your sweet tea that southern grandma taste we were talking about. You are going to take your 1 cup of granulated sugar and dump it into the water. You will stir this mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Top Off the Pitchers
Since your pitcher is a gallon, you will want to add about 3 more quarts of water to your mixture to make a gallon of the sweet tea. This will ensure there is enough for everyone, so come one, come all!
Refrigerate Until Chilled
Putting ice in the mixture is not going to make the tea very cold because of how hot the water is. You are going to want to let the mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
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Serve Over Ice
When you are getting ready to serve, serve it over ice to ensure that it is iced-cold sweet tea. You can add mint or a slice of lemon to the glasses if you choose.
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