Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sweet Tea



I know that most of you probably know how to make sweet tea, but if you don't...well, that's just wrong. You NEED to know how. I grew up drinking tea and learned how at a fairly young age by watching my mother make it night after night. It really is quite a simple process and the reward of drinking a tall glass of iced sweet tea would be worth going to way more trouble than it actually requires to make one.

I would have assumed that everyone knew how to make this summertime savior had I not overheard a teacher's lounge conversation in which two women were discussing how they wished they knew how to make sweet tea. Another piped in, "Oh, I have a recipe! You start by making a simple syrup, then you..."

WHAT? Two things shocked me. First, someone did not know how to make sweet tea--they were missing out! Second, someone used a recipe for it? That required making simple syrup? That was just weird. Sorry.

Well, I have decided that weird or not, everyone needs to be able to make sweet tea. If you are one of the poor souls who has never had the opportunity to be schooled in the art of sweet tea making, then here you go. You're welcome. And you're not really weird.

Sweet Tea

6 cups water
4 family size lipton tea bags
1 3/4 cup sugar

  • Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a sauce pan; add tea bags.
  • Quoting my great-grandmother Maw Maw here: Boil the hell out of it.
  • Remove from heat. Cover and steep 10 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing gently.
  • Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour into 1-gallon pitcher, and add enough water to fill pitcher. Serve over ice.

6 comments:

  1. At what point can you tell when all of the hell has been completely boiled out of it? That's funny!

    I love sweet tea, especially the way you describe it being made. The sweeter the better. In fact, you could sweeten the hell out of it.

    I always liked it when my grandmother would make sun tea.

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  2. Yes, I would love a refill! Thanks....

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  3. Ha ha! The hell is usually gone in about 5 minutes.

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  4. here's a shock. I DO NOT KNOW how to make sweet tea, and my sis in law Loves and adores it!!!

    I will be making this for her tomorrow when she comes for a pedicure. (yes, I get to go have a pedicure for the first time in about two years... I'm giddy.) Sweet tea and a pedicure. Is that the recipe for a perfect day?

    I bet it is.

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  5. Being married to a Southern Boy I can say that sweet tea was a staple at his home growing up. I confess, we're sugarless here when it comes to tea. But, I DO know how to make it. It's so sweet h*ll doesn't stand a chance of surviving it! : )

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  6. I LOVE me some sweet tea. And I've always had the best sweet tea at your mom's!

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