How do you make your southern sweet tea?

Question

We make it best in the south. Northerners don't know anything about the tea down here :)

Being in Tennessee, I've learned to make a pretty mean tea myself. What about you guys? Post your recipes, Id love to hear!

Mine:

I don't have a large pitcher, and I don't make it extremely sweet, I make it just right.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil, take off heat.

Put in 2 family sized tea bags, brew 10-15 minutes (I usually do 15).

Put in about half a cup of sugar (remember, I use a small pitcher)

Fill the rest up with water, make sure to stir.

Let sit in fridge overnight, tastes better without ice.

I have a small pitcher, and to me the deal with sugar is that less is more.

So lets hear about yours?

Answer 1

Ingredients:

8-10 tea bags, any kind you like (although I highly recommend Luzianne or Lipton Iced Tea Brew)

Small pot of water, with a lid that fits well

1 cup of sugar

1 gallon-sized pitcher (or a big pickle jar)

Directions:

Add sugar to water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

As soon as you get the tea bags in, the water may act like it's about to boil over. I usually just add the tea bags in with one hand, and then take the pot off the stove with the other. That way the hot bubbles have a chance to stir the tea up a bit, getting them off to a good brewing start.

Cover the pot and let the tea steep for as long as possible. It will be good in 20 minutes, but even better in an hour or two. Then pour the tea syrup (that's what it's actually called when made this way) into your gallon-sized pitcher and fill with water, making sure to gently squeeze the tea bags to get as much tea as possible into the water.

Well that's it, your Southern Sweet Tea is ready! Just pour into a glass (pretty canning jars are a southern favorite) filled with ice and serve. Some people will keep this in the fridge for several days, it's really only good for about 2 days. After that, it's time to make a fresh batch!

And yes, it's wonderful with a slice of lemon