Perfect Sweet Tea Recipes

PERFECT SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Tie the strings of 8 tea bags together in a knot.
• In a small saucepan combine sugar and 2 cups of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add tea bags. Immediately turn off heat. Let sit and steep for about 2 hours.
• In a gallon pitcher add steeped tea. Wring out tea bags and add to the pitcher as well. Add 3 cups ice. Fill to gallon line with water. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• For individual glasses, add a slice of fresh lemon and pour over with iced tea. Enjoy!

HOW TO MAKE SWEET TEA

Steps:

• For the simple syrup:Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to boil for about 5-7 minutes. You'll notice the mixture will reduce. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool. For the tea:In the same saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the range and place on a trivet. Add tea bags and baking soda. Steep for 5-6 minutes. Remove tea bags without squeezing. Add simple syrup and stir. Pour into a pitcher and add remaining 7 cups water. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

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

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.

MAKE PERFECT ICE TEA

Steps:

• Place tea bags and baking soda in a large heat resistant glass measuring cup.
• Add 2 cups of boiling water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
• Remove tea bags and pour tea into a 2 quart pitcher.
• Add 6 cups of cold water. If you have hard water, use filtered water or bottled water.
• For sweetened tea, put approximately 1 cup of sugar (adjust to taste) in 2 quart pitcher. Then pour tea concentrate from step 2, and after sugar has dissolved, add 6 cups of cold water.
• To avoid cloudiness, cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
• Garnish with lemon or mint and serve over ice.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

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. :).

DON'S SIMPLE SWEET TEA

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a pot. Dissolve sugar in boiling water; remove from heat.
• Steep tea bags in water to desired strength of tea, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Refrigerate tea until cold, at least 1 hour.

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.