The perfect sweet ice tea recipe?

[Beekissed]

So, got the boys coming out tomorrow to help us do a project and wanted to make them some sweet ice tea. Now, I may be handing in my southern card here by stating we don't drink much sweet ice tea around here...just never got into the habit of it and that leaves me making it rarely.

I know, I know...how can I consider myself southern and not swill down the sweet tea? FWIW, I'll order it when I'm out on the town now and again and I enjoy a good sweet tea as much as the next person, but the caffeine sticks with me for hours upon hours and I can't sleep all night long. I'm not much of a caffeine drinker, so it affects me a lot.

Anyhoo, since I hadn't made it for so long and I wanted to make sure I was using the right number of bags per gallon, I looked up a recipe. Yep...they have scads of recipes of for the "perfect" sweet ice tea! Didn't know it was that complicated until now. Did you know folks add baking soda to make the tea "smooth"? Didn't know that.

So, all you southern belles and boys, got a fave tea recipe that never fails? I already made the tea and it remains to be seen if it's drinkable tomorrow, but if it isn't I'm only out some water, sugar and tea, so that ain't too bad. The recipe I found didn't seem to be sweet enough, so I added extra...sure hope that doesn't taste different when the tea is chilled or we are going to have some teeth falling out.

 

[Collector]

We use 2 cold brew tea bags and 1 Yerba mate regular size tea bag in a gallon jar. After brewing we add 1/4 cup sugar and drink it . It's the best and the Yerba mate gives it a little kick.

 

[Beekissed]

We use 2 cold brew tea bags and 1 Yerba mate regular size tea bag in a gallon jar. After brewing we add 1/4 cup sugar and drink it . It's the best and the Yerba mate gives it a little kick.

Had to look up the Yerba mate... You only use 1/4 c. sugar for a gallon of tea? That must be a northern recipe! Most of the southern recipes I found showed 2 c. sugar per 1/2 gal of tea.

The one I chose said 1 1/3 c. sugar per gal. but I found it a little on the insipid side, so added more sugar.

 

[Collector]

Had to look up the Yerba mate... You only use 1/4 c. sugar for a gallon of tea? That must be a northern recipe! Most of the southern recipes I found showed 2 c. sugar per 1/2 gal of tea.

The one I chose said 1 1/3 c. sugar per gal. but I found it a little on the insipid side, so added more sugar.

I will drink it with zero sugar added but DW likes it with 1/4-1/2 cup sugar. I have tried to drink the southern sweet tea a couple times I cannot do it way to sweet for me. Might as well drink humming bird nectar lol.

 

[Beekissed]

I will drink it with zero sugar added but DW likes it with 1/4-1/2 cup sugar. I have tried to drink the southern sweet tea a couple times I cannot do it way to sweet for me. Might as well drink humming bird nectar lol.

Some of it I can tolerate but if it's too sweet it nigh makes me sick to drink it...it covers the flavor of the tea too much. I think the further south one drives, the sweeter the tea.

Did you know that some states out west don't even offer sweet ice tea in restaurants? Folks act like they've never heard of it out there! That's like saying one has never heard of coffee.

 

[Collector]

Resturaunts around here have unsweetened iced tea, you add sugar if you want it. More and more grocery stores are selling southern sweet tea in gallon jugs around here. That is the sweet tea I tried , it really was awful stuff, probably not authentic sweet tea though.

 

[Beekissed]

Resturaunts around here have unsweetened iced tea, you add sugar if you want it. More and more grocery stores are selling southern sweet tea in gallon jugs around here. That is the sweet tea I tried , it really was awful stuff, probably not authentic sweet tea though.

Naw...that stuff is awful! Too sweet and it leaves an awful aftertaste in the mouth. Ick.

It never really works to add sugar to tea when it's cold...it just doesn't want to dissolve, so one is drinking gritty tea that's just not right.

 

[digitS']

I had some Lipton in a bottle the other day.

Checked the calories: 160.

Looked up a teaspoon of sugar: 16 calories.

The bottles are 18.5 fluid ounces so a little more than 2 cups, with 10 teaspoons of sugar!

digitS'

 

[journey11]

I use 12 tea bags per gallon. 3/4 c. sugar (or leave it unsweet and add a Truvia packet per glass if it's just for me.) And it needs to have lemon! I drink green tea this way more often than black.

My Mr. Coffee ice tea maker that I got as a wedding gift finally died. The tea I've made from boiling water on the stove was just not as good. Too bitter. Maybe I shouldn't squeeze the bags.

I can see adding baking soda. That might help soften our nasty hard water!

This is not a southern iced tea recipe, but one I often make when I have company:
In a one gallon pitcher--
1 c. Lipton powdered ice tea mix with lemon
4 c. cold water (stir til mix is dissolved)
Add a 2-liter of ginger ale
Ice
And lots of sliced lemon

 

[canesisters]

I've stated before that I am not allowed to make sweet tea for any gathering of friends or family since I've NEVER liked sweet tea and am apparently not capable of making a decent pitcher of it.
BUT - a good friend tried to teach me one day and here's what she did.

Take a sauce pan, fill it about 2/3's full of water and at least a couple cups of sugar.
Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
Add 4 'family size' tea bags. (I asked.. it seems that the type of tea isn't as important as the sweetness.. but Lipton is preferred)
Boil the bags for a little bit until the water is a nice, dark 'tea' color.
Remove from the heat and let sit 5 mins or so.
In the mean time - fill a pitcher (gallon) half full of ice.
Remove the tea bags and dump the still warm tea over the ice.
Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and stick in the fridge until ready to fill glasses.

Seems simple enough... But I'm still not allowed to make sweet tea