Description
Iced Sweet Tea - the perfect drink on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 family size tea bags "for iced tea" (or five regular tea bags)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Water to fill pitcher to 2 quarts (About 6.5 cups)
Instructions
- Boil 1.5 cups water: Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil.
*This is where the electric kettle really helps - it takes less time to boil the water than it does to get the rest of the ingredients together. - Steep the tea for 2 hours: Put the tea bags and sugar in your 2 quart pitcher. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let steep for at least 1/2 hour, and preferably 2 hours.
- Add water to 2 quarts: Remove the tea bags, and squeeze any remaining tea out of them. Add water to the pitcher to bring it up to 2 quarts. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve in a glass full of ice. (A lemon wedge is good, too.)
Notes
Southerner style: use 1/2 cup sugar. Or "keep pouring until it feels right."
Yankee style: skip the sugar. (Yes, it's bitter. It builds character.)
Luzianne or Red Rose teas are traditional, but I prefer the taste of Lipton. But…Lipton family size tea bags cost twice as much as Luzianne at my local grocery store. Luzianne it is!
Tools
- Electric Kettle (optional, but it makes boiling water quick and easy. Â I have this one
.) - 2 quart pitcher
.)- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Appetizers and Drinks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American