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The secret to southern sweet tea is simple. This southern sweet tea recipe will teach you how to make that perfect glass of sweet tea, every single time.
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Every home cook in the south has a southern sweet tea recipe. Sweet tea is just a way of life around here. Always served ice cold, sweet tea is like a good cup of coffee.
In every true southern fridge sits a pitcher of sweet tea ready to be served. Today I’m sharing my southern sweet tea recipe for that perfect glass of sweet tea, every single time.
While sweet tea is not the only tea that I drink, growing up in the South sweet tea is a beverage that can be found as a beverage option at most restaurants. Sitting on the front porch, sipping a tall cold glass of sweet tea is just what we do around here to relax after a long day.
With every meal and served at every restaurant, sweet tea is more than just a southern staple its a part of our life down here.
Secret Southern Sweet Tea Recipe
Some may think that Sweet Tea has some sort of “secret ingredient”. But this simply isn’t true.
There is only one rule to really good sweet tea and that is the sweeter the better.
The brand of tea bags doesn’t matter that much, although many in the south will swear by Luzianne. So long as it is black tea, the brand doesn’t matter all that much. I typically will just pick a store brand to save a few pennies.
But please note that instant tea is no good here. I prefer to use single tea bags versus family size, but really any size will do.
What do you serve Sweet Tea in?
I picked up this gallon glass dispenser, I thought it was absolutely perfect for holding my tea in the fridge and oh so easy to refill my glass when I’m running low.
Mason Jars have been my jam for a while. We switched from drinking out of normal glasses to only using wide mouth mason jars as our beverage vessel. Sweet Tea and Mason Jars are a perfect Southern pair.
Taking your Sweet Tea To-Go?
If you are taking your tea on the go, you can’t go wrong with an RTIC tumbler. I’m obsessed with mine. It keeps your sweet tea perfectly cold. It amazes me that I can take this tumbler with me when I run errands and my beverage is still be cold when I return to my car on a hot summer afternoon.
Next to a mason jar, my RTIC Tumbler is my second favorite way to enjoy a gold glass of sweet tea.
Lemon or No lemon
That is the question. Many people like the taste of fresh squeezed lemon in their sweet tea, many people do not. It is all a matter of personal preference.
For me, personally I do not like lemon in my tea. I like my sweet tea plain and simple just like the recipe.
But if you like the flavor of lemon, I encourage you to add a slice or squeeze of lemon into a glass of freshly poured southern sweet tea.
Southern Sweet Tea Recipe
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The secret to southern sweet tea is simple. This southern sweet tea recipe will teach you how to make that perfect glass of sweet tea, every single time.
Remove tea bags and squeeze out excess tea from the bag before discarding.
With a slotted spoon, stir the tea until the sugar on the bottom is completely dissolved.
Refrigerate overnight because sweet tea always tastes its best on the second day. Serve in a mason jar filled with ice.
Notes
Sweet Tea is at it’s best for about 2-3 days after making. If you notice that the tea has become cloudy, it is no longer good and it’s time to make a fresh batch.
If you plan to serve this sweet tea recipe cold from the fridge WITHOUT ice, then reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. As the tea sits in the fridge it becomes sweeter. The recipe as it is written is to be served in a glass filled with ice.
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Most Southern “sweet tea” is made with the sweetener in the water. It gives a more natural and well blended flavor to the tea. Most other sweet tea is brewed, then sweetened. This method creates less savory flavor since it is generally brewed using hot water and then the sweetener added after the fact.
Sweetened iced tea is a solution in which solid sugar (the solute) is dissolved in cold liquid tea, which is mostly water (the solvent). When you add sugar to tea, particles of water pull apart particles of sugar. The particles of sugar spread throughout the tea, making all of it taste sweet.
It wasn't until 1928 that sweet tea became the southern thirst-quencher of choice it is today. The well-known “Southern Cooking” cookbook published a sweet tea recipe that shifted iced tea from a refreshing beverage to a cultural staple.
A gallon of homemade sweet tea often has at least 1 cup of sugar: That means 25 grams of sugar per 16-ounce glass. Vanderbilt University Medical Center registered dietitian Madeleine H. Hallum encourages a switch to unsweetened tea as a way to reduce your overall sugar consumption.
For 1 gallon, boil 1 quart water (32 ounces or 4 cups). Remove from heat and pour over 1 Luzianne Gallon Size Iced Tea bag (or 4 Family Size or 16 Individual Cup Iced Tea bags). Brew 3-5 minutes and sweeten to taste.
Iced tea is lower in sugar, can help you stay hydrated, contains antioxidants, and is often lower in calories than soft drinks. Whether you enjoy it sweetened or unsweetened, iced tea is the perfect summer beverage for those who want to stay healthy and refreshed.
Adding a little baking soda to your tea will clear away any cloudiness left from the mixing process, and it's also thought to cut down on any lingering bitter tastes from the steeping tea bags, leaving your tea clarified and smooth and providing your get-together with one fantastic pitcher of tea.
Some things that won't do a good job of keeping you hydrated include things such as soda, coffee, energy drinks, sweet tea, and even lemonade. Why is that? Because they are either loaded with caffeine, unnatural sugars or even both, which dehydrate the body more than hydrating it.
Sweet tea is not just "tea with sugar" - it's a beverage in its own right. An inviting elixir, sweet tea has its sugar added early on: The sugar crystals dissolve fully when stirred into piping hot tea.
Southern-style sweet tea relies on granulated cane sugar, which can be adjusted to taste. Granulated sugar, white or unbleached, works better than water-based simple syrups, which dilute the brew. Don't use just any old water for sweet tea; filtered or spring water eliminates any odd flavors in treated tap water.
Why does southern sweet tea taste different? Southern-style sweet tea tastes different because of the blend of teas. The most common tea is black tea, but some use a blend of orange pekoe tea, and pekoe-cut black tea. Giving it a more robust tea flavor.
Why do people in the Southern United States take their tea with so much sugar in it? 'Sweet tea' in the US South is a black tea mixed with so much sugar, it is at the point of saturation. No more sugar can be added, or sugar will settle out of the tea.
80% of a cup water, 1.5 gm tea leaves or its one shechet, one full tea spoon sugar. Boil them for about 2 minutes duly covered. In between steer it to rinse tea leaves flowing on water upper layer.
Refined white sugar is the most popular choice. Add 1 teaspoon to your hot tea and go from there. Many iced teas already contain added sugars, so think carefully before adding a teaspoon of sugar to those. You could also try brown sugar, for a warmer and richer flavor.
“When someone adds sugar at home, they are likely to add less sugar than you would find in flavored coffee drinks at your favorite coffee shop,” she noted. “There are 4 grams in one teaspoon of sugar; most people will add a teaspoon or two of table sugar to their coffee or tea,“ Dr.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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