To the Southerners on this Board: A tea question

[montalo]

To our Southerners of this board, how do you make a proper Southern sweet tea?

I find recipes that dont seem quite right, such as adding baking soda, so I leave the question to you


How do you make it?

 

[primuspilus]

Buy a standard coffee maker with a regular and strong setting....and NEVER use it for coffee...ever.

Fill the coffee maker up and put 10 regular Lipton tea bags in the coffee maker, put on strong setting and let run.

While brewing, take 1 cup of sugar and put in bottom of a gallon jug.

Grab 2/3's gallon of ice in a bowl.

Put finished tea in gallon jug...stir until sugar dissolves.

put ice in jug and stir until cold.

Set in the window and let sun for 1 hour.

Put on your crown and declare yourself tea master of all creation.

PP

 

[hecma925]

Boil a quart of water.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Turn off heat when sugar is dissolved. 

Add 5 bags of Luzianne tea family-sized bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.

Take bags out and add 3 quarts of cold water.  Put in a pitcher.

Serve in a tall glass with ice and a squeeze of lemon, if you're partial to that. 

Don't like your strong sweet tea being watered down?  Put some of that tea in an ice cube tray to freeze for next time.

 

[xOrthodox4Christx]

Boil a quart of water.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Turn off heat when sugar is dissolved. 

Add 5 bags of Luzianne tea family-sized bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.

Take bags out and add 3 quarts of cold water.  Put in a pitcher.

Serve in a tall glass with ice and a squeeze of lemon, if you're partial to that. 

Don't like your strong sweet tea being watered down?  Put some of that tea in an ice cube tray to freeze for next time.

That's what I did roughly. But I didn't add any cold water, I just refrigerated the boiled water. I'm not Southern but I've made sweet tea before. 

 

[Elisha]

This is what I heard a friend say (or better, "describe"):

Take black tea (Lipton) and keep adding sugar until it becomes disgustingly sweet.  Then back off just a tad [me:  as of that's possible, but what she said].

Basically correct Southerners?

 

[gueranger]

This is what I heard a friend say (or better, "describe"):

Take black tea (Lipton) and keep adding sugar until it becomes disgustingly sweet.  Then back off just a tad [me:  as of that's possible, but what she said].

Basically correct Southerners?

There ain't such a thing as too sweet tea. 

 

[Peacemaker]

I give you the best instruction video for tea  :laugh: :angel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSkT77010fE

 

[Second Chance]

This is what I heard a friend say (or better, "describe"):

Take black tea (Lipton) and keep adding sugar until it becomes disgustingly sweet.  Then back off just a tad [me:  as of that's possible, but what she said].

Basically correct Southerners?

Barely correct. Here is the real sweet tea recipe that has not been adulterated by Yankees and what not.

Brew tea. Strong is good. Stirring add sugar  until a spoon will stand right up in the middle of your container. Chill.

 

[Elisha]

This is what I heard a friend say (or better, "describe"):

Take black tea (Lipton) and keep adding sugar until it becomes disgustingly sweet.  Then back off just a tad [me:  as of that's possible, but what she said].

Basically correct Southerners?

Barely correct. Here is the real sweet tea recipe that has not been adulterated by Yankees and what not.

Brew tea. Strong is good. Stirring add sugar  until a spoon will stand right up in the middle of your container. Chill.

Haha!

 

[Tikhon29605]

The pinch of baking soda is helpful to keep the tea from turning cloudy.  But it is optional. You don't have to add it.  The basic recipe for Southern ice tea is this:

Brew it strong.  The boiled tea should be black, just like coffee.  Add the sugar after you have boiled it and steeped it and removed the bags while it is still warm.  The warm tea helps the sugar to dissolve.  Be generous with the sugar, but sweeten it to your taste. Most Southerners I know like moderate to well sweetened iced tea.  There is no right or wrong way to sweeten.  It is very individual.  After sweetening the warm tea, you may add a pinch of baking soda to keep it from becoming cloudy.  Then let cool to room temperature. Pour into a glass container with a lid and refrigerate. It simply tastes better when stored in a glass container than in a plastic container or old milk jug. Don't worry about it being too strong and dark.  When you pour a glass, fill the glass up with lots of ice cubes (crushed ice is the best) and pour the tea over it. As the ice melts it will dilute the tea.  Serve with slices of fresh lemon.

Note well: Only Yankees and other barbarians use "instant" iced tea.  If you serve instant tea to your guests in the South, all your guests will know that your Momma did not raise you with any class or dignity. 

 

[hecma925]

The pinch of baking soda is helpful to keep the tea from turning cloudy. 

There's a reason for this.  When dissolving the sugar in boiling water (same if you make your own simple syrup for cocktails) make sure it dissolves completely.  It will be clear.  I have never used baking soda and always have non-cloudy tea.

 

[Peacemaker]

I've always been a fan of sun tea. I don't know if making tea in the sun effects the taste or it's all sociological - as a kid I didn't care. :laugh:

 

[FormerReformer]

Boil a quart of water.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Turn off heat when sugar is dissolved. 

Add 5 bags of Luzianne tea family-sized bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.

Take bags out and add 3 quarts of cold water.  Put in a pitcher.

Serve in a tall glass with ice and a squeeze of lemon, if you're partial to that. 

Don't like your strong sweet tea being watered down?  Put some of that tea in an ice cube tray to freeze for next time.

This. Though Luzianne can just as easily be Lipton's. Basically a standard Orange Pekoe tea, nothing fancy. Using earl grey would not only be pretentious to a Southerner, but a horrible perversion of everything earl grey stands for. Lapsang is right out.

Also, 5 bags seems a bit low to me. I'd go with 10 or 12.

 

[hecma925]

Boil a quart of water.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Turn off heat when sugar is dissolved. 

Add 5 bags of Luzianne tea family-sized bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.

Take bags out and add 3 quarts of cold water.  Put in a pitcher.

Serve in a tall glass with ice and a squeeze of lemon, if you're partial to that. 

Don't like your strong sweet tea being watered down?  Put some of that tea in an ice cube tray to freeze for next time.

This. Though Luzianne can just as easily be Lipton's. Basically a standard Orange Pekoe tea, nothing fancy. Using earl grey would not only be pretentious to a Southerner, but a horrible perversion of everything earl grey stands for. Lapsang is right out.

Also, 5 bags seems a bit low to me. I'd go with 10 or 12.

Of the family-sized bags?  That'd be a strong brew! ;D

 

[Greg]

>_>  I'm a deep southerner, and I have no idea how to make tea. Not too big a fan of it.

 

[Christina]

To our Southerners of this board, how do you make a proper Southern sweet tea?

I find recipes that dont seem quite right, such as adding baking soda, so I leave the question to you


How do you make it?

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add 4 family-size tea bags and steep uncovered for 5 minutes.  (I use Tetley decaf.)  Dump 2 cups of sugar into a 1-gallon pitcher.  Remove tea bags and pour over sugar.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.  Add 3 quarts of cold water while stirring.  Chill in refrigerator.

 

[converted viking]

http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp

Read the link above.  This is not the way to make southern tea regardless of what might some will tell you.  Stay healty.

Viking

 

[Jibrail Almuhajir]

This is what I heard a friend say (or better, "describe"):

Take black tea (Lipton) and keep adding sugar until it becomes disgustingly sweet.  Then back off just a tad [me:  as of that's possible, but what she said].

Basically correct Southerners?

Barely correct. Here is the real sweet tea recipe that has not been adulterated by Yankees and what not.

Brew tea. Strong is good. Stirring add sugar  until a spoon will stand right up in the middle of your container. Chill.

Yessir.  I reckon that right there's the way.  When my granny would make it (which was all the time),  y'all could use it as syrup before she added ice.  We're Mountain Southerners (or Upland South, if you like [think Appalachia and the Ozarks]), so I don't think we have 'set' way of making it.

 

[hecma925]

This. Though Luzianne can just as easily be Lipton's. Basically a standard Orange Pekoe tea, nothing fancy.

It can, but for some reason Lipton has a tinny taste (whenver I make it; same procedure and everything)...maybe just my tastebuds.  My mom, OTOH, can not drink Luzianne, because it makes her sick.  She knows if it's Luzianne, even at restaurants, with one sip.