SWEET TEA ICE-COLD

Sweet Tea with Lemon

Nothing quenches our thirst on a hot day like an ice-cold glass of sweet tea. As the preferred beverage of Texans, sweet tea is a must-have in many kitchens and restaurants across Texas year-round. Brewing this beverage can be a simple task, but to truly make sweet tea the Texan way every time, here are a few tips and tricks.  

​Sad truth: I have probably had way more Sweet Tea in my life than plain water. I know that sounds crazy but it is a fact. A pitcher of it existed on every supper table through my youth into my adult life.

In our home, sweet tea was the beverage of choice (whether I wanted it or not) for almost every meal. You can still find sweet tea in our fridge. We drink sweet tea on a daily basis.

Sweet Tea is commonly known as brewed tea that has been sweetened with usually sugar then served ice cold in a refreshing manner.

The appeal of a Sweet Tea Recipe is pretty clear: Ice cold tea with heaps of sugar to cut that tea tartness. Whoever invented this was a genius! Most Texans would like you to believe that there is a real science to making this beverage but I think that’s just a bunch of cow poop…that has been brainwashing folks for years. The reality is it is quite simple to make a good ole fashioned homemade Sweet Tea Recipe. I didn’t have a real recipe to share in this post. In fact, the recipe below is more of a guideline than a set recipe to follow.

So really you only need like 3 (or 4) things to create this homemade sweet tea recipe:

1. Water
2. Tea Bags
3. Sugar
4. Lemon, if you want to get fancy, That's it. Why folks make this such a big deal blows my mind. And some ice, don't forget how good iced tea can be. 😊

We personally throw tea bags directly into the water and bring to a boil.
Tip: The longer you brew your tea, the stronger it will be. However don’t worry too much because as soon as you add ice, you will dilute the strength somewhat.

For the sugar, this is up to your taste. I know folks who love their tea to taste as sweet as candy and then others that like theirs a bit on the bitter side. Again, it’s up to your taste.

Tip: The safe way to approach this is by adding half of the sugar, allowing it to dissolve completely and then tasting and deciding how much more to add.

Lemon or mint? That’s more of a new aged thing to some. My mama certainly would think so...we only had lemon when guest was over. I love adding them to my glass pitcher because of the additional flavor infused in the tea and how lovely it looks swirly around in my mason jar. For entertaining you can add them to your pitcher to make the color pop!

Getting fancy & adding lemon to my mason jar of sweet tea. 

​What Tea Brand Should I Use For My Homemade Sweet Tea Recipe? Now for tea bags, the South is pretty loyal to Luzianne,& Lipton. We have HEB grocery stores in our area; they make a great selection of tea bags. We use HEB tea bags (half the price of the name brand). So grab one of those boxes of tea and get busy.
When it is all said and done, making a Sweet Tea Recipe is no sweat, believe me, and it is a very personal thing. Make it your own and enjoy a big glass for me, okay?

​Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!

Sweet Tea Recipe

​INGREDIENTS

• 8 regular tea bags (or 2 family size tea bags)
• 3/4 - 1 cup granulated sugar to your sweetness preference
  • Optional: lemon and mint
• water
• Ice

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a small saucepan combine 2 cups of water and tea bags over high heat. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Let sit and steep for about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on strength you prefer).
• In a gallon pitcher add sugar and pour steeped tea over sugar. Wring out tea bags and add to the pitcher as well. Fill the gallon pitch with enough cold water. Mix the tea mixture and store in refrigerator.
• For a cold-glass of tea, fill glass with ice and pour sweet tea over ice, add a slice of fresh lemon if desired. Enjoy!

Sweet-tea with lemon slices …FANCY. 

​So I just thought it would be awesome to share it with you. Give it a try and let me know how you enjoy it!

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Blessings,
​Margarita & Stace