REAL Southern Sweet Tea?

[AKL_Megs]

I need help from those of you who are from the South. How do you really make REAL sweet tea? I've seen hundreds of different recipes on the internet, but how is it REALLY made?

 

[disneyrun]

I'd call myself a real southerner. GA born and bred I do 7 bags of tea, bring to a boil then turn off and let sit and steep. Then put 2 cups of sugar in a gallon pitcher and add tea (not bags!) and cold water until full. Best when it's been in the fridge for a while. Note that it will get sweeter and sweeter as it sits. If you know it'll take a while to drink it start with less sugar to begin with.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I boil about 5 cups of water and then add 5 family size tea bags of Luzianne. I let it steep for 5-10 minutes and then pour it in a huge tea jug. To that, I add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and add water as needed.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Now THAT sounds right. About 5-7 teabags... 2-2.5 cup sugar... 5 cups water boiled.

Most of the recipes I saw called for 2 teabags, 2 cups water boiled, seep, pour in jug, and add more cold water. Sounded gross and watery to me, this sounds better.

 

[perdidobay]

I boil about 5 cups of water and then add 5 family size tea bags of Luzianne. I let it steep for 5-10 minutes and then pour it in a huge tea jug. To that, I add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and add water as needed.

Now thats real SWEET tea

I do the same, except I use 3 family size Luzianne tea bags ( the only brand I think should be used) and 1 1/2 cup sugar. For real southern sweet tea the sugar has to be added while the tea is still hot!

 

[lemondog]

For real southern sweet tea the sugar has to be added while the tea is still hot!

Yes...that's very important or the sugar won't dissolve properly. I myself make a simply syrup by mixing together equal parts sugar and water, then bringing to a boil. That can be used to sweeten the tea, even when it's cold.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I'd call myself a real southerner. GA born and bred I do 7 bags of tea, bring to a boil then turn off and let sit and steep. Then put 2 cups of sugar in a gallon pitcher and add tea (not bags!) and cold water until full. Best when it's been in the fridge for a while. Note that it will get sweeter and sweeter as it sits. If you know it'll take a while to drink it start with less sugar to begin with.

Same here!

 

[wtpntigger2]

I just made my first batch of sweet tea (I'm a yankee and I don't like tea) for my formerly southern dh because he's been going to McD's almost daily to get their sweet tea and that's getting expensive.

Anyway, according to dh what I made was AWESOME (again, I wouldn't know). This is what I did:

Boil 4 cups of water. Put in 2 family size bags of Luzianne tea and boil for another minute and then cover and steep for 5-10 minutes. Put 2 cups of sugar in a gallon pitcher. Pour steeped tea over sugar and add cold water to fill pitcher. Put in fridge to chill and sweeten up.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Excuse my ignorance....but would you call this sweet tea? Fresh brewed iced tea with sweet n low. Or it is just unsweetened tea with sweet n low

 

[Jsme]

Growing up in the South I find it funny to hear someone call it sweet tea. My DD (15 years old and has always lived here) does it and I have to laugh everytime I hear it. I am not bashing those that are calling it sweet tea, just saying that I only have known it as tea all my life. I did not know until I went to college there were anything but tea with sugar that you drank over ice. Yes I was culturally ignorant. lol

I now love hot tea. I do not care for "sweet tea" but my entire family loves it.


I rarely make it but I know how. Grew up making it. Really the amount of sugar you put in is up to your taste. If someone likes it from McDonald's then you like it real sweet. I rarely drink anything with sugar but my family does.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I think my frequent trips to the south, with all that wonderful sweet tea helped me get diabetes!

Whenever I was there I couldn't stop drinking it. I bet I would drink close to a gallon a day.

Now, I really don't blame the sweet tea, but had I actually lived there - in the south - I sure would have developed it a lot earlier, I bet.

 

[Southern4sure]

2 Decaf family size tea bags (Luzianne) and 2 Salada decaf green tea bags in a 2 qt pot, bring to a boil then turn off and let steep. I steep for apprx 30 minutes. Dh doesnt like tea syrup so I use 1 cup of sugar per gallon of tea. I add the sugar while the tea is still warm, mix until sugar is melted then I add water to finish filling the tea pitcher. I make a gallon a day here.

 

[rwrocksme]

I boil about 5 cups of water and then add 5 family size tea bags of Luzianne. I let it steep for 5-10 minutes and then pour it in a huge tea jug. To that, I add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and add water as needed.

Same here...I just double the sugar.

 

[Tiziminchac]

Sweet tea used to be a favorite of mine. But I decided to watch my health and give it up. It wasn't easy and I occasionally have a glass when I'm out to eat. Luzianne tea was the best.

Then again, being a bachelor, I was usually too lazy to make it. I'd buy the Publix brand sweet tea. They make it with Luzianne tea. Just figured I'd throw that in for the rest of you lazy tea drinkers.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Excuse my ignorance....but would you call this sweet tea? Fresh brewed iced tea with sweet n low. Or it is just unsweetened tea with sweet n low

That would be unsweet tea with sweet n low. Sweet tea must use real sugar.

 

[mselly13]

Since I tend to forget about the tea seeping and it cools off before I could add the sugar...I now put the sugar in the water.

So...a small pan of water, just over a cup of sugar, 2 family size tea bags...bring to boil...turn off and let stand.

Using a one gallan pitcher...pour in the tea...throw the bags away...add cold water until full. Place in the frig.

Drink happy...we usually drink about 2 gallons of this per day at our house...but we don't drink sodas either.

 

[aprilgail2]

I think my frequent trips to the south, with all that wonderful sweet tea helped me get diabetes!

I am noot surprised with all that sugar people say goes into "sweet tea'! My firend married a southerner and when he first moved here he would make sweet tea- the first time they asked if I wanted a glass of iced tea and I said sure- well I thought I was going to be sick with how sweet it was! He has now gotten used to "our" version of iced tea here and no longer makes the super suger tea!

 

[KimR]

Wow, some of you make super sweet tea! No wonder DH insists I don't make 'real' sweet tea. I use a little less than 3/4 cups of sugar per 4 family size tea bags and that's plenty sweet for me. I also sweeten my tea when it is cold and I never understood why that mattered, but now it makes sense. There's no way you could dissolve that much sugar in cold tea. No one in the house will drink my tea, now I know why!

 

[ChristaDeVil]

Boil 4 cups of water. Put in 2 family size bags of Luzianne tea and boil for another minute and then cover and steep for 5-10 minutes. Put 2 cups of sugar in a gallon pitcher. Pour steeped tea over sugar and add cold water to fill pitcher. Put in fridge to chill and sweeten up.

Good job! That's almost exactly how I make it and I'm a born and bred Alabamian.

 

[Poohbear123]

Wow, some of you make super sweet tea! No wonder DH insists I don't make 'real' sweet tea. I use a little less than 3/4 cups of sugar per 4 family size tea bags and that's plenty sweet for me. I also sweeten my tea when it is cold and I never understood why that mattered, but now it makes sense. There's no way you could dissolve that much sugar in cold tea. No one in the house will drink my tea, now I know why!

Same here! My TEA sucked, but now thanks to DIS-ers I HAVE the recipe!