What is Southern Sweet Tea?

[slk537]

I've always wondered...what is the difference between southern sweet tea and just adding sugar to regular tea?

Please! End this Yankee girl's curiosity!

 

[lovemygoofy]

One big thing I've noticed is that in the South we add sugar, sometimes alot of it, to the tea while it's steaming hot from brewing. The most important thing is to use quality tea bags.

 

[KathyTX]

Sweet tea requires the sugar to be completely dissolved in hot water so it's completely infused throughout the tea.

Just adding sugar to cold tea doesn't dissolve it as thoroughly. You end up with sugar crystals floating in the tea that way rather than actually infused. You can see that the sugar stays separated by the sugar that settles in the bottom of the glass when you just stir it in.

 

[slk537]

thank you both - that makes sense. I had read something on another message board that sounded like she was equating drinking a quart of sweet tea to pouring pure fat down your throat and I was completely confused as to what you could possibly be putting in this tea that had fat in it....???? Melted butter?

Now I am thinking I misread the post...(I hope).

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

It's the house wine of the South.

had read something on another message board that sounded like she was equating drinking a quart of sweet tea to pouring pure fat down your throat

I've heard some people (mostly darned Yankees ) tell me that not only will sweet tea make you fat, it'll give you 'sugar diabeetus'.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Basically sweet tea is mostly sugar syrup with tea flavoring added. I have seen sweet tea recipies which call for two or three tablespoons of suger per 16 ounce portion. Unsweet tea is tea without any sweetener or with just a small amount.

For example, when I make a 1/2 gallon of iced tea I put in four packets of Splenda to add some sweetness. That is equal to one teaspoon of sugar per 16 oz portion.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

ONLY three or four tablespoons?

DH does not like sweet tea. When I make sweet tea, he usually samples it then asks me if I want some tea with my sugar.

 

[L&Lfan]

In actuality, you'll find all different levels of sweetness in the South, but I agree with the poster who said that the real definition of Southern style sweet tea is that the sugar is dissolved completely in the tea while it's brewing. Southern sweet tea is not a sugar packet added to your glass of iced tea. I'm going home to South Carolina (from Jersey) next week and I can't wait for some of my mama's sweet tea!

jon

 

[Jennasis]

It's horrifyingly disgusting...but DH loves the stuff. Oddly enoughI love hot tea, very very sweet.

 

[BamaTigger]

You can also brew SUN TEA. Just let it sit in the sun in a clear gallon pitcher and add sugar to your liking and it is soooooo good.

my pitcher of sweet tea is either with LIPTON OR TETLEY tea bags, brew it and while it is hot, add half to 3/4 cup of sugar and dissolve quickly while stirring and adding water. pour over a big glass of ice and HEAVEN. gotta love the sweet tea from the south.

serve with fried chicken, fried green maters, mashed taters and cornbread and YOU ARE SET!

 

[luvmyfam444]

our sweet tea we add sugar as soon as its done brewing & we had 1 cup of sugar to 1 gallon tea...

sugar with our colored water! LOL

 

[qtwns]

It's the house wine of the South.



I've heard some people (mostly darned Yankees ) tell me that not only will sweet tea make you fat, it'll give you 'sugar diabeetus'.

It is also the nectar of the gods! If Jack Daniels hadn't already taken the tag "Southern Comfort", sweet tea would qualify for that as well.

 

[bcvgal]

It's horrifyingly disgusting...but DH loves the stuff. Oddly enoughI love hot tea, very very sweet.

Those are fighting words and might just get you kicked out of NC

 

[lvanleer]

My mom was from North Carolina and so I grew up on sweet tea..we almost always had a teapot full on the counter and once I got older she let me make it......now my DH and I get our milk delivered weekly and one of the perks is the creamery sells their own homemade sweet tea so I indulge in at least one or two bottles each week.....I also occasionally get the sweet tea from Chik-fil-a which I love.

 

[Angelhalo]

Those are fighting words and might just get you kicked out of NC

LOL thats exactly what I was thinking. Disgusting is what we southerners call a big fat glass of unsweetened tea. Blech!

and to this:

Basically sweet tea is mostly sugar syrup with tea flavoring added.

Not true at all....at least not where I'm from in NC. We use 3/4 cup of sugar or Splenda in my house to 2 quarts of tea. Thats less sugar than a Kool-Aid packet calls for

And tea flavoring would be COMPLETELY unacceptable. We southerners know a glass of imposter tea (aka not fresh brewed) from a mile away.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

our sweet tea we add sugar as soon as its done brewing & we had 1 cup of sugar to 1 gallon tea...

sugar with our colored water! LOL

We use a cup of Splenda to a gallon of tea (cut down from 1 1/3 cups ) and we usually do Sun Tea in our handy old Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Pickle jar!
DH goes through a gallon every 36-48 hours usually- have one brewing outside as I type.

 

[FroggyinArk]

two liptom family sized tea bags, ran through coffee pot , two pots of water makes 1 gallon,,pour over 1 1/2 cups od sugar and presto,, about half a days worth f sweat tea

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Real sweet tea is made with sugar, not that artificial stuff!

Sweet tea:sugar added while the tea is hot=mmmmm!!!!!
Sweetened tea:sugar (or that artificial stuff) added to iced tea=blech!!
There is a big difference in the taste!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Southern Iced Tea is strong and sweet. You have to boil the tea bags in the water for one minute, then steep covered for 10. To make a 1/2 gallon, I start with about 6 cups of boiling water, add about (this is to taste, so you will have to tweek it for yours) 10 small tea bags and boil for one minute-watch it so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes. Remove bags, pour into a pitcher. Add about 1/2 cup sugar(again to taste) stir to dissolve. Add ice/cold water to fill pitcher.

As stated by pp, adding the sugar to the hot tea is the crucial step. I know true Southerns who will pass on tea if there is only unsweetened - (which 9 times out of 10 you must specify down here if that's what you really want-when you order "TEA" you get sweet iced tea- if you want unsweetened or hot tea, you must specify!). They will not add sugar to iced unsweetened tea.

Lord have mercy, Froggy, you like your tea SWEET!!

 

[Evil Genius]

Take a 10 lb bag of sugar, add enough water to make it syrupy, put a tea bag in it for color. I think that's how my MIL makes it.