Southerns will most likely find this post absurd but for others it could be informative.
Alright, so here it goes… in the South there is a beverage called Sweet Tea. (See description above.) I’ve come to learn that those from the South think sweet tea is both delicious and easy to make. I’s a necessity, like Dr. Pepper. To this Yankee, I will agree that it’s delicious, but not so easy to make. Until now.
The first lesson I received in sweet tea making was when I first moved here. I sat on a stool in our friends kitchen while he boiled water in a pot. Once it boiled, he threw in some tea bags then poured in sugar right out of the bag. Stirred until it was dissolved and then poured it over ice. “That easy! Can’t mess it up!” So when I finally tried it, it was not “That easy!”. My tea was bitter. It was awful. I didn’t give up! Apparently messing it up wasn’t that hard, haha!
Leah came along and showed me the ropes…. and it really is “That easy!”
Sweet Tea Recipe:
8 cups water
4 tea bags
1 cup sugar
Ice cubes
1. Boil 8 cups of water (pretty easy).
2. Once water is boiling, pour into pitcher and add 4 tea bags. Allow to sit for 3 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags and stir in 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar, until dissolved.
4. Add ice until pitcher is full (I use a gallon pitcher).
Pour and enjoy or store in the fridge!
Probably everyone from the south makes their tea differently because sweet can mean many different things but that is a great recipe. One of my secrets is sprinkling a little baking soda in the boiling water. It adds a smoothness to the tea.
Ok – stop the bus! There’s different ways of making sweet tea?! Baking soda? I’m going to have to look into this! Thanks for that tip – I had absolutely no idea!