Real Southern Iced Tea Food

PERFECT ICED TEA

Steps:

• Hot-Brewed:
• Bring 8 cups water to a simmer; remove from the heat and add 3 tablespoons loose tea or 6 tea bags. Let steep about 4 minutes, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags. Let cool, then transfer to a pitcher, cover and refrigerate.
• Cold-Brewed:
• Combine 8 cups cold water and 6 tablespoons loose tea or 10 tea bags in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 36 hours, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags.
• Sweet Teas:
• Combine 3/4 cup each sugar and water in a saucepan and add 1 infuser, if desired. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the infused syrup through a fine-mesh sieve (you'll get about 1 cup).
• Orange Add 6 strips zest
• Blackberries 1 cup
• Cinnamon 2 sticks
• Lavender 3 tablespoons dried
• Vanilla 1 halved bean
• Mint 3 sprigs
• Ginger 1 cup sliced
• Lemon 8 strips zest
• Nectarine 1 cup chopped
• Cucumber 2 cups chopped

REAL SOUTHERN ICED TEA

Steps:

• 1. In a saucepan, stir sugar into the 1 quart boiling water until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and place tea bags into this sugar syrup mixture. Allow to steep 5-7 minutes.
• 2. Pour cold water and about 2 cups of ice cubes into a 2 1/2 quart serving pitcher. SLOWLY pour hot tea mixture into the cold water. Stir until ice melts and add lemon slices or mint leaves if desired. Serve in tall glasses over ice cubes.
• 3. All tastes are different. People like sweet tea made with as little as 1/2 cup of sugar, up to a cup and a half - we prefer 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per half gallon. Try different mixtures and make it your own.

SOUTHERN SWEETENED ICED TEA

Steps:

• Fill a 2 qt pitcher (that's pitcha in the South) about halfway up with ice.
• Clip the clothespin onto the side of the pitcher and"hang" the tea bags through it (keeps the paper from getting in the tea and makes the bags easier to retrieve- you don't want to be seen with your hand in the pitcher here in the South).
• Pour the sugar or Splenda on top of the ice cubes and now fill the pitcher up with water.
• Let sit about an hour, pull out tea bags and serve.

SOUTHERN ICED TEA

Steps:

• Place tea bags in a 2 quart glass pitcher.
• Pour one quart boiling water over tea bags.
• Let this steep for five minutes.
• Remove tea bags from water, and press tea bags gently against the side of the container with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Remove tea bags from container and discard.
• Stir in one cup sugar.
• Add the remaining one quart of water.
• Stir, cool to room temperature.
• Serve over ice.
• If desired, garnish with lemon wedge.
• Note: You may store any leftovers in the refrigerator, but the tea will turn a bit cloudy.
• (This does not affect the taste).
• If you want to take the haziness out of the tea, you may stir in 1/4 cup boiling water per quart of iced tea just before serving.

SOUTHERN SWEET ICED TEA

Steps:

• In a large glass measuring cup, place the tea bags and add the baking soda.
• Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
• Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
• Take out the tea bags and do not squeeze them.
• Pour the tea mixture into a 2-quart pitcher; add the sugar.
• Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add in the cold water.
• Let cool; chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice.

HONEY CITRUS SOUTHERN ICED TEA

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 8 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in the honey. Let cool.
• Add the sweetened tea to a pitcher along with 2 cups ice and another 4 cups water; stir. Add the sliced kumquats (if using), key limes and lemon. Pour into glasses over ice and garnish with mint.

SOUTHERN STYLE SWEET ICED TEA

Steps:

• Boil about 8 cups water.
• Add 3 family (large) size tea bags and steep for 3-5 minutes. You can also use 8 small regular sized tea bags.
• Mix concentrated hot tea with 1 3/4 cup sugar and stir well in tea pitcher.
• Add cold water until pitcher is full and stir to combine.
• Serve over ice with a garnish of lemon or raspberry.
• *Tip pour some in an ice cube tray and freeze. Keep the pitcher cold in the refrigerator and serve with tea ice cubes to prevent your tea from getting watery on a hot day. :).