Any sweet tea recipes?

[caribear]

I love sweet tea.....especially from Cracker Barrel....so I am looking for a good southern recipe. I need to stay away from caffiene....so I have been trying to make my own....not much luck though. For some reason my tea always turns out bitter. Maybe I am leaving the tea bags in too long?? It doesn't taste anything like the kind I get at Cracker Barrel!! Any particular brand I should use? Please post your sweet tea recipes!! Thanks!!

 

[lucyanna girl]

I make my sweet tea with decafinated tea bags.I put 2 family size decafinated tea bags in a small saucepan with about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil on a med. heat. Turn off and let sit about 5 minutes. I make either sugar tea or sweet n low tea, depending on who is drinking. For sugar tea I put 3 cups of sugar in a two guart pitcher, pour hot boiled tea in on the sugar, mix to disolve and fill with cold water. For sweet n low tea I boil the teabags in the same manner but instead of sugar I put 5 tablespoons full of bulk sweet n low in my pitcher, add a little cold water to disolve, add the boiled tea and fill with cold water. Hope this helps, mine is not bitter and is very sweet.

Penny

 

[VogelFamily]

This is what we like at my house. I have made sweet tea this way for years. We drink about 1 gallon a day between the 5 of us. I keep 2 gallons in the fridge and just rotate them. 1 that is "brewing" and 1 that we are drinking. I have plastic gallon size containers. I place 2 cups of sugar in the bottom, fill with the HOTTEST tap water I have(no need to heat water on stove), stir gently to mix and then place in 3 family size Lipton tea bags. I then place directly in the fridge and let "brew" overnight. By lunch or dinner it is just right, simply remove the tea bags and stir to mix. It tastes great, I have friends who visit just for the sweet tea. Of course, if you are in a hurry this will not work. I have tried many methods and this tastes the best. It is never too strong or bitter. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe and now that they have just 2 at home, she uses 1/2 gallon jars, less sugar and 3-4 regular Lipton tea bags but we drink so much that I find it works best to keep one brewing and one to drink out of. I have tried heating the water on the stove top or brewing in a coffee pot but it is always too strong or bitter. Hope you find some that works for you. Nothing better than a great glass of sweet tea..............Heather

 

[graygables]

For sugar tea I put 3 cups of sugar in a two guart pitcher

Holy Insulin Levels, Batman!!! I thought I grew up with southern sweet tea, but it was only 1 cup per 2 quarts...

I put 3 PG Tips (sorry, caffeine and all) in a 2 quart pitcher then set my electric kettle to boil. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags (about 1/2 full) and let steep at least 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in 1 cup sugar (or, since DD and I are insulin resistant, I use 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 tsp stevia powder) then top with cold water. The PG Tips makes it a bit stronger than the Lipton I grew up with, but we like it that way.

my mom still does hers with 1 cup and it's way to sweet for me now.

 

[sammielynn]

Holy Insulin Levels, Batman!!! I thought I grew up with southern sweet tea, but it was only 1 cup per 2 quarts...

I put 3 PG Tips (sorry, caffeine and all) in a 2 quart pitcher then set my electric kettle to boil. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags (about 1/2 full) and let steep at least 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in 1 cup sugar (or, since DD and I are insulin resistant, I use 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 tsp stevia powder) then top with cold water. The PG Tips makes it a bit stronger than the Lipton I grew up with, but we like it that way.

my mom still does hers with 1 cup and it's way to sweet for me now.

I was thinking the same thing! I just use 1 cup of sugar and I love sweet things.

 

[bama-mom]

I live in the South and was raised on sweet tea! My mom always did hers on the stove in a pan, now all we use is Lipton Cold Brew bags. You just add the tea bags and cold water and in about 10-20 minutes (depending on how strong you want it), you have great sweet tea. It is just as good, if not better than the old way we used to do it. I am not sure if they have decaf. Also, when we add sugar, we only use 1 cup to about 2 quarts like the pp, I can't imagine 3 cups!! Sometimes I use half sugar and half Splenda.

 

[caribear]

Thanks for the recipes! I will start trying them this afternoon after I buy some more sugar! Has anyone ever used the natural sugar? I hear it is sweeter.

 

[graygables]

Thanks for the recipes! I will start trying them this afternoon after I buy some more sugar! Has anyone ever used the natural sugar? I hear it is sweeter.

Natural sugar is the same sweetness as refined, but there are somes (darker ones) that will have a molasses flavor to them.

 

[pixiepower1971]

I live in the South and was raised on sweet tea! My mom always did hers on the stove in a pan, now all we use is Lipton Cold Brew bags. You just add the tea bags and cold water and in about 10-20 minutes (depending on how strong you want it), you have great sweet tea. It is just as good, if not better than the old way we used to do it. I am not sure if they have decaf. Also, when we add sugar, we only use 1 cup to about 2 quarts like the pp, I can't imagine 3 cups!! Sometimes I use half sugar and half Splenda.

Yes, they do have decaf!

 

[kissy]

Had to post on this since I live in Mississippi and we have to have Sweet tea in our fridge at all times!
I have a Ice Tea Maker...use Red Diamond Decaf family size tea bags (3 at a time) If you use the pitcher it comes with then I add 1 1/2 cups of sugar. We actually have a huge pitcher that I have to brew two ice teas then use a little over 3 cups of sugar. ANyway, that way to me is the easiest. And you can get the ice tea maker at walmart for like $20!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I used to work at Cracker Barrel and I made the sweet tea most of the time. I don't know how much tea the container held (maybe 4 gallons?) but we put a whole pitcher (the pitcher's they use to refill the tea's and such) of sugar in the sweet tea. That's a lot of sugar! It may have antioxidants in it but, sheesh, that's like drinking regular soda!

 

[caribear]

I used to work at Cracker Barrel and I made the sweet tea most of the time. I don't know how much tea the container held (maybe 4 gallons?) but we put a whole pitcher (the pitcher's they use to refill the tea's and such) of sugar in the sweet tea. That's a lot of sugar! It may have antioxidants in it but, sheesh, that's like drinking regular soda!

No wonder why the sweet tea is so good...it's pure sugar! LOL I still love it though!!

I do have an ice tea maker somewhere....probably packed up in a box in the attic....I need to find it and see if my tea comes out any better. I did make a batch last night and used the unrefined sugar....very sweet with a hint of molasses.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

I use right at 2 cups of sugar for a gallon of tea.I use 5 Family size tea bags.I boil about 4 to 5 cups of water and then drop in the bags and let it stand for about 10-15 mins .I pour my sugar in and the pour my tea over it and mix it up and then fill the rest of the way with cold water.

Aslo dont squeeze the tea bags out just let them drain.If you squeeze them to much it will make the tea bitter to.
We like to use Luzianne decaf for our tea.

 

[jenr812]

Thanks for posting this

 

[marthachick]

For 1 gallon of tea I use 4 Family size tea bags & about 2 cups of sugar.

Boil about 3 or 4 cups of water (I never measure) & take it off the burner. Immediately put the tea bags in & let it steep about10 minutes or so. Put the sugar in your pitcher & then add the hot tea & finish filling the pitcher with cold water. Serve over ice. You can also use a combination of Splenda & sugar to equal about 2 cups of sugar.

 

[left210]

I used to make my tea on the stove but once I started using the Ice Tea maker it is so much easier. We use the generic tagless tea bags from Walmart, put 8 in the ice tea maker, fill the machine with water as directed, fill the pitcher up with ice and 1 3/4 to 2 cups sugar and turn it on and let it brew while you go off and do other things. You dont have to stand by the stove and watch it. Love our ice tea and it is pretty sweet. The pitcher that comes with the ice tea maker I think is 3 quarts.

 

[hegfam]

I guess everyone in the South can pass along a recipe for sweet tea!

Lipton makes "Cold Brew" and it makes great tea in less time. I use 2 family size bags for a 2-quart pitcher. You just add water to make 2 qts and remove the bags after 5 or 10 minutes. I add a 'heaping' cup of sugar to the pitcher and that makes tea that is terrifically sweet for my family. They make the Cold Brew in decaffeinated too, but I haven't tried it. Figure I might as well have a little caffeine with my sugar!

 

[DVCLiz]

For 1 gallon of tea I use 4 Family size tea bags & about 2 cups of sugar.

Boil about 3 or 4 cups of water (I never measure) & take it off the burner. Immediately put the tea bags in & let it steep about10 minutes or so. Put the sugar in your pitcher & then add the hot tea & finish filling the pitcher with cold water. Serve over ice. You can also use a combination of Splenda & sugar to equal about 2 cups of sugar.

This is my recipe, too, except that I steep my tea about 20 minutes, and use about one and three quarters cups of sugar instead of a full two cups. Also, I squeeze two lemons and add their juice after I've put the tea and water into the pitcher. I like mine with lemon!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

Sorry - double post!

 

[bnhasak]

This is how we make "sweet tea". It is something my DH's family has always made.

7 tea bags in about a gallon of water. Bring to boil with bags in it. We just use a big old pot. Then add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 can frozen lemonade concentrate (minute maid) after it comes to a rolling boil. Cool in fridge or counter overnight and bottle. DH doesn't like the lemon pulp, so we strain ours first through a thin wire strainer.

It is YUMMY!