how to make sweet tea

[kacaju]

We live in NJ. My dd17 was in Atlanta GA around Thanksgiving and drank sweet tea and loved it. Just yesterday we were out shopping and she made the comment how she loved the sweet tea she had in GA. So...I am asking how to make it so I can surprise her. Thanks!

 

[mhsjax]

We live in NJ. My dd17 was in Atlanta GA around Thanksgiving and drank sweet tea and loved it. Just yesterday we were out shopping and she made the comment how she loved the sweet tea she had in GA. So...I am asking how to make it so I can surprise her. Thanks!

Lets try again, I accidentally deleted my entire post. I use 3 family or 9 regular size tea bags. I simply put them in a small pan of water and heat on the stove. Don't turn it on too high or the tea bags may burst if the water boils. Let the water heat for a while, I just look at it and tell by the color, when it is dark it is done. I pour the tea into a large pitcher and add about 2 cups of sugar. YOu must add the sugar while the tea is hot. I then add water, tea is way too strong to drink like this. It really is a matter of taste as too how strong and sweet you like your tea.

 

[kacaju]

Really isn't hard. The big thing is you MUST MUST MUST put in the sugar while the tea is hot. Also, I don't know if you ever make tea, and please don't be insulted when I say this, but I have friends that moved from NJ and their idea of tea was to buy a can on instant lipton tea. They couldn't figure out why theirs didn't taste like mine. But tea bags, put in a pan on the stove. I use 3 family bags for a large pitcher, sorry can't remember exactly what size. Anyway, put the pan on medium heat and let get hot and leave it for a few minutes. Don't boil the tea bags could burst. Pour into pitcher and add sugar, and water. The sugar totally depends on how sweet you like it. I add about 2 cups. If the tea isn't hot, the sugar won't dissolve. Anyway, it really is trial and error, it just depends on how strong you like your tea and how sweet you like it.

Also, I see they like to promote Luzianne tea for the south I think, personally, I hate Luzianne and only use Lipton

Thanks..Not insulted at all I am not a tea or coffee drinker...this is why I asked!!

 

[powellrj]

I like to make syrup and keep in the fridge for when someone wants sweet tea.

ICE TEA SYRUP
3 c. sugar
3 c. water
16 tea bags
Boil sugar and water. Add tea bags and simmer for 15 minutes. Let set for 15 minutes. Take out tea bags. Use 1 cup of syrup to 1 pitcher of water. Store remaining syrup in refrigerator.

 

[mhsjax]

I like to make syrup and keep in the fridge for when someone wants sweet tea.

ICE TEA SYRUP
3 c. sugar
3 c. water
16 tea bags
Boil sugar and water. Add tea bags and simmer for 15 minutes. Let set for 15 minutes. Take out tea bags. Use 1 cup of syrup to 1 pitcher of water. Store remaining syrup in refrigerator.

OMG, I have got to drink at least one cup of coffee before tying to read or post, I actually thought you said you like to keep maple syrup in the fridge. YUCK. Oh my, and YES, that is a great idea. I have actually melted sugar in hot water for someone when all I had was un sweet tea.

I really do need that coffee. lol

 

[Cinderella909]

Sweet tea is quite simple to make. I make mine a little different the pp. I fill a two quart pan about one third of cold water. Let it come to a boil and then I place 4 tea bags (or 2 family size tea bags) in the boiing water and remove from the stove. Let tea bags simmer about 5 minutes (too long makes the tea bitter). In a large pitcher, I put 2/3 cup of sugar and add the hot tea. Stir till disolved and then fill to the brim with cold water. Keep in the refrigerator.

You'll learn quickly how much sugar to use. It's a staple at this house.

Enjoy! Karen

 

[NC State]

I have a tea brewer but you can use a coffee maker. I use 4 family tea bags. Fill the water unit and let it brew. I do this three times for one gallon. Before Weight Watchers I would use 2 cups of sugar, but we now use 1 1/2 cup of Splenda. Be sure to add sugar to the hot tea so it will melt when mixing. Then please into the frig to chili. I fix one gallon a day for me and my husband. We drink a lot of cold tea.

 

[kacaju]

This is how little I know about tea...What is a family bag?? I assume just a larger tea bag??

 

[mrsv98]

I use 9 regular tea bags in a 2C measuring cup, fill with hot water (I have a kettle) and let steep for a good 15 mins. I use 1C of sugar for one gallon of tea but it is really to taste. McDonalds has good sweet tea but it is too much for me so I get a half and half and it is perfect.

I would suggest starting out with 3/4 or 1C of sugar and then going from there. Love my sweet tea!

 

[Shmily1]

I live in South GA and we just have to have our sweet tea. I make it in the coffee maker-a 4 cup one. I use two family sized tea bags, let it run through just like coffee. Then I pour that in a gallon pitcher with about 1 1/2-2 cups of sugar(depending on how sweet you want it), stir, then fill it up with water. All done and ready for tall glass of ice!

A family sized bag is a larger than a regular one. I use Lipton.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Lets try again, I accidentally deleted my entire post. I use 3 family or 9 regular size tea bags. I simply put them in a small pan of water and heat on the stove. Don't turn it on too high or the tea bags may burst if the water boils. Let the water heat for a while, I just look at it and tell by the color, when it is dark it is done. I pour the tea into a large pitcher and add about 2 cups of sugar. YOu must add the sugar while the tea is hot. I then add water, tea is way too strong to drink like this. It really is a matter of taste as too how strong and sweet you like your tea.

My grandfather used to make sweet tea like this, too. I don't know where he learned it. His parents were Eastern European immigrants and he spent his whole life in NY and PA. But this is exactly how he did it.

Actually I think he stirred in sugar before he poured it in a pitcher.

 

[kacaju]

I live in South GA and we just have to have our sweet tea. I make it in the coffee maker-a 4 cup one. I use two family sized tea bags, let it run through just like coffee. Then I pour that in a gallon pitcher with about 1 1/2-2 cups of sugar(depending on how sweet you want it), stir, then fill it up with water. All done and ready for tall glass of ice!

A family sized bag is a larger than a regular one. I use Lipton.

hmmm....I just happen to have a old 4 cup coffee pot I was going to donate since we have the kerig..dh doesnt use the 4 cup anymore..So I do happen to have *normal size * tea bags...how many of those would you use?

 

[firecracker725]

I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I use Lipton Cold Brew tea (family size). Four bags per gallon, 1 1/4 c. sugar. Just pour the water straight out of the faucet onto the bags and let them "steep" for about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and stir.

 

[Snoopymom]

("I didn't mean to call you sweety" Ugh! hate that joke, poor waitresses!)

I had no idea there were so many different ways to make it.

I never make more than a half gallon at a time because stale tea is awful!

Fill a small sauce pan with water
boil or almost boil
add 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar, stir until it desolves
turn the burner off
add 4 regular size tea bags
pull them out after about 3 minutes
pour over ice and a few slices of lemon if I have them
into a 1/2 gallon pitcher
fill the rest up with cold water and stir

I add 1 cup of sugar if we're going to drink it right away because when it's a little warm and you pour it over ice it dilutes some. 3/4 cup if it's going in the fridge for awhile before we drink it.

 

[Katlyn]

Sweet tea is quite simple to make. I make mine a little different the pp. I fill a two quart pan about one third of cold water. Let it come to a boil and then I place 4 tea bags (or 2 family size tea bags) in the boiing water and remove from the stove. Let tea bags simmer about 5 minutes (too long makes the tea bitter). In a large pitcher, I put 2/3 cup of sugar and add the hot tea. Stir till disolved and then fill to the brim with cold water. Keep in the refrigerator.

You'll learn quickly how much sugar to use. It's a staple at this house.

Enjoy! Karen

This is the way I make mine too, but use 1 cup sugar in a 2 quart pitcher. I use Tetley Tea bags.

 

[laurafergie]

For a gallon of tea, I use 3 family or 9 regular tea bags. Boil about a two quarts of water, and then put in the tea bags and let seep for about five minutes, but no longer than ten minutes. If you boil the tea bags, it'll be bitter. Add hot tea to pitcher, add sugar to hot tea and stir until dissolved, then fill the rest of the way with cold water. I happen to use 1 2/3 cups of sugar, because that is perfect for my family. Use only Lipton or Tetley tea.

IMO tea that is dripped, like through a domestic coffee maker, doesn't taste right. The water doesn't get hot enough and for the strength to be correct, you have to use more tea.

 

[North of Mouse]

Wow, almost had to stop and think how we make our tea! It's something that we have had all our lives, so kind of do it without thinking.

I put 1 - 1 1/4 cups sugar in a 2qt. pitcher with a little water (don't want to pour hot water in glass directly), then boil 2 cups water, add 5 tea bags and let it steep 5min. Any longer makes it bitter. Then pour the tea into pitcher, and finish adding cold water to make 2qts. Stir well, serve over ice.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

I've been drinking tea all my life, both hot and iced. I've made literally hundreds of gallons of iced tea. And I've never heard of NOT boiling water for truly good tea.

OTOH, I sometimes let it brew overnight. Not on purpose, for the most part.


And your DD would likely hate my recipe.... I use 1/4 cup sugar for the gallon. And that's only a nod to DH. I prefer my tea plain and unsweetened, hot or cold.

 

[firecracker725]

I've been drinking tea all my life, both hot and iced. I've made literally hundreds of gallons of iced tea. And I've never heard of NOT boiling water for truly good tea.

OTOH, I sometimes let it brew overnight. Not on purpose, for the most part.


And your DD would likely hate my recipe.... I use 1/4 cup sugar for the gallon. And that's only a nod to DH. I prefer my tea plain and unsweetened, hot or cold.

Well this southern girl is here to tell you that the Cold Brew is every bit as good as hot brewed tea. It has changed my life.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, here is the scoop

This has been something that has cropped up on my radar...
I was looking at info about green tea. (as in hot tea from green tea leaves)

But, then in a broader search I saw a comment about different types of tea... and one actually mentioned that Southern (sweet) tea is boiled.

Let me tell you...
I am a southern girl too.
And, had already discovered the difference, completely by accident, a few years ago.

I was cooking for Thanksgiving... which is always at MIL...
She is from up north, and has basically never even drank tea.
And, especially not good Southern Sweet Tea.
And, I really wanted to take me some tea for my Thanksgiving meal.

So, I was very busy with everything, and forgot to turn the eye off when I had started my tea on the stove. Next thing I knew, the tea bags were just boiling away!!!! I was like...
No time to brew another pot...
So, I sweetened it.... poured in a carafe, and out the door we went.

OMG, that wast the BEST, most smooth, rich, delicious, tea that I had ever had.
Same teabags, same recipe.....

Now that I am drinking a cup of green tea in the mornings...
I tried different methods...
And, yep, If I bring it to a simmer (not just steep with hot water poured over it....) it is SO much better. Richer, and not bitter.

Give it a try..
If you want real smooth, rich, southern sweet tea... you will be glad you did.

You don't have to boil it to death, like I almost did by accident.
Just make sure the teabags reach a simmer before cutting off the eye.

Sweeten with plenty of sugar, while still warm, to fully incorporate and dissolve more sweetness into the tea. Let cool for a bit... Pour over glass filled to the brim with ice.