Perfect Southern Sweet Tea Food

SOUTHERN STYLE SWEET TEA

Steps:

• In a pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil; remove from heat Add tea bags and allow to steep for 3-5 minutes depending on the strength of tea you prefer. Remove tea bags and stir sugar into warm tea; continue to stir until completely dissolved. Pour concentrated tea into pitcher and mix in remaining 8 cups water. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into glasses packed with ice cubes, garnish and serve. For best flavor, refrigerate and use within 48 hours.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST SOUTHERN SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Hold tea bags lined up evenly by the strings and make a loop knot to hold them together. Pull off paper and staple (from paper side). Set aside.
• In a one gallon pitcher, add very hot water. Stir in the sugar till dissolved.
• Add tea bags and dunk into water a few times, then leave them in the pitcher. Cover with lid of pitcher and refrigerate.
• Wait until it is very cold (at least 3-4 hours). The flavor changes until it reaches the 'cold' state.
• Drink and enjoy. (I leave the bags set in the pitcher, but recommend taking them out after about 8 hours--- IF it lasts that long! We make 2 pitchers at a time down here in the south. :).

SMOOTH SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof, glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water, and add tea bags. Cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
• Remove tea bags, and discard; stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour in cool water, then refrigerate until cold.

SWEET TEA

Steps:

• In a tea kettle or medium saucepan, heat 4 cups water until boiling. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Gently squeeze the bags to release their concentrated tea, then discard the bags. Transfer the tea to a pitcher.
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar into the hot tea until it has dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice. Add 4 cups water, then fill the pitcher with 2 cups ice.
• Taste the tea to determine if you'd like to add up to 4 tablespoons more sugar. If adding sugar, stir until it dissolves.
• Cover and refrigerate until the sweet tea is chilled throughout or up to 2 days. Serve in a large glass filled with ice, and garnish with a lemon slice if you'd like.

DELICIOUS QUICK & EASY SOUTHERN SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Place family size tea bag in a microwave safe container filled with water & microwave until it boils (approx. 4min for 4cups).
• While that is going, in a gallon size pitcher, pour about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of sugar in the bottom. I usually eye it and it comes out perfect.
• The microwave should be finishing up. Pour hot tea water into the pitcher over the sugar. The hot water dissolves the sugar granuals. Stir until completely dissolved. (If you have time, let sit in microwave for a while and steep even more. If you don't have time, that's cool too.).
• Fill the rest with cold water & refrigerate.
• Serve over ice. Enjoy!
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• I, personally, don't put lemon in it because I find that lemon cuts the sugar & you have to use a whole lot more sugar for it to be southern "sweet".

SOUTH CAROLINA SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Using an electric coffee maker, Place the 3 tea bags in the strainer basket (not in the pot). Brew the tea as you would coffee. Pour the sugar in a gallon pitcher. Pour in the hot tea. Continue to run coffee maker with the tea bags until you have enough tea to fill the pitcher. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate.