Southern Sweet Tea

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-21-2003
Southern Sweet Tea
Thu, 03-10-2005 - 11:34am

Ok, well, I am not Southern, but my bf is, and I hope to eventually be living there soon enough... Anyway, I *love* iced tea and get it every time I go to a restaurant (much better alternative to soda if you're not a water-drinker). My bf's dad gave me this recipe he got when he first moved to Georgia from the North.

I know lots of people have variations on this, and obviously it all depends on taste. The number of teabags, the time allowed for them to stew, and the amount of sugar substitute are the three big variables, so experiment away! But here is how I like it, and I can't get enough of it. Of course, Southern ladies say they do this better than anyone else either because of the water, the love they put in the tea, or both :)

Southern Sweet Tea

1 gallon pitcher or milk container
2 qts boiling water
4 family-sized decaffeinated teabags (Lipton sells them (iced tea teabags) in reg & decaf)
1 cup Splenda (or other sugar substitute), if desired
sliced lemons, if desired

Boil the water, and pour it over the teabags in your pitcher.
Let sit for 8 minutes.
Remove the teabags, add the Splenda, and stir.
Fill up to 1 gallon with cold water (and ice, if you like) and chill.
Add lemon slices if you like, and enjoy!

!!!!NOTE!!!! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use a 1 gallon milk container as your primary container. If you plan to use one, use a smaller pitcher for the teabags and boiling water, then add cold water, pour it into the milk jug, and finish off the gallon with more cold water. Adding boiling or almost boiling water to a milk container will make it BURST AT THE SEAMS!

Becca

On the Beach Since September 8, 2008