Summer Sweet Tea

Summer brings fun! It brings freedom, vacation, good food, and HEAT! I live in the south and the summers here are HOT! I'm talking humid heat for all of July and August. Even though I live in the south now I grew up in the north where sweet tea is not a common beverage. When you do not grow up drinking Sweet (Iced) Tea it sometimes takes a bit to adjust your taste buds to enjoy it ...... that was always the case with me. I would drink it because it is at every cookout you go to in the south but was never a fan of it......Until I stared making it myself. And it is the best sweet tea ever! Even better then Mcdonalds....... Yep, southerners know what I am talking about. When you are from the south and you travel to a different part of the country the tea is not the same. The only saving grace you have when you get that craving is going to McDonald's. So for those of you who are having a craving or have recently moved away, I have a recipe for you that will make all of your sweet tea dreams come true.

What You Will Need

• Lipton Iced Tea Bags
• Sugar
• Honey (Optional)
• Baking Soda
• Boiling Water

We will start by boiling the water

The Lipton tea bags are larger and they take 2 cups of water per bag. So If you are just looking for one glass just boil 2 cups of water per bag. I make it by the gallon and use 4 bags.

For one gallon of tea boil 8 cups of water. Once the water has started to boil remove it from the heat and let the bubbles settle. Do not put tea bags in water that is still boiling, it will give you a burnt taste. While the water is still hot, just under boiling add the 4 tea bags. Make sure they get fully submerged by lifting them up and down into the water a few times.

Baking Soda

This sounds like a crazy step but it is critical to a smooth taste. Once you have added the tea bags add a small pinch of baking soda. That's all it takes just a pinch, if you add too much it will taste salty.

Sugar

Now for the sweetness. You have to add the sugar while the water is still hot. I put in 1 1/2 cup of sugar for every 2 bags. For a gallon that is 3 cups of sugar. You can adjust according to how sweet you like it.

Honey

I put honey in my sweet tea, not everyone agrees with me but I think it gives it that little bit of extra smoothness. Only about a tablespoon, maybe 2 depending on how you like it...if you even like honey.

Once everything has been mixed well to where you can no longer see any sugar in the mixture take out the tea bags. It only takes me about 5 minutes to get everything mixed up. You don't have to let the tea bags sit, I don't but some people like to. It is a personal preference.

After the tea bags have been removed fill up the rest with cold water. When making a gallon you use 8 cups of hot water and when done making the tea add the other 8 cups of cold water to make 16 cups total. Your hot water mixture should make up half of however much you are making. When done mixing the sweetness, simply fill up the other half with cold water, and you are done.

When pouring directly after you make it I would suggest using an entire glass of ice as the tea will still be hot. You can also let it sit and cool down.

Hope you enjoy my recipe Be sure to share this post with your friends if you like it so they can make their own southern sweet tea at home! Thanks for reading!