Perfect Ice Tea Recipe

Posted on | September 24, 2009 | 3 Comments

I am southern and as all of you probably know.. we southerners like a good sweet ice tea recipe. I have been perfecting my sweet tea recipe for quite a while and I am ready to divulge it to you.

You really need to forget about the ice tea makers and the instant stuff.. it just isn’t the same as home brewed.

I have a whistling tea kettle that holds 1/2 gallon of water and it is perfect for the job.

Fill a tea kettle or a medium sauce pan with water and let it come to a boil.

While it is heating up, get a gallon pitcher and measure out 1-1/4 cups of white granulated sugar. If you tend to be really southern and like your tea as sweet as they do then go ahead and go for a full 1-1/2 cups.

You will also need 3 family size tea bags.. I prefer the Luzianne brand but you can use just about any kind that you like as long as it is a mix of black and orange pekoe.

Place the tea bags on top of the sugar with the string tabs hanging over the edge of the pitcher.

Once the tea starts boiling, turn it off and pour 1/2 gallon of water into the pitcher and place a cover on the pitcher loosely.

Let the tea steep for 10 minutes and then remove the cover from the pitcher.

Squeeze the tea bags with a spoon against the side of the pitcher for good measure and toss the tea bags in the garbage.

You will notice that the sugar is still in the bottom of the pitcher so you will need to stir the tea until the sugar melts completely.. THIS IS IMPORTANT and takes about 45 seconds to 1 minute of stirring.

Once the sugar is completely dissolved and mixed into the tea.. fill the remaining space with another 1/2 gallon of cold water.

Stir the tea really well once again and the tea is ready to serve.

I guarantee you that this will be the absolute best tea you have ever tasted!

Let’s review.. it’s really not as difficult as it sounds:

• Boil 1/2 gallon of water
• Add sugar and 3 family size tea bags to gallon pitcher
• Pour boiling water into pitcher
• Let steep for 10 minutes
• Sqeeze and remove tea bags
• Stir sugar into tea really well
• Add 1/2 gallon of cold water
• Stir well and serve

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Comments

3 Responses to “Perfect Ice Tea Recipe”

1. Madeleine
   September 26th, 2009 @ 9:42 am

   This is the only way to make tea.

2. Alan
   October 8th, 2009 @ 12:22 am

   I am from South Louisiana and this really is the only way to make iced tea – i use either 4 or 5 family bags depending on my mood and if anyone else is going to drink it (5 bags for me and 4 for everyone else). I let it steep until the water is back at room temperature and then squeeze the bags. I also use 1 cup of sugar per gallon. for interesting tea, try using some light brown sugar with the white – play with the proportions until you find something you like.

3. TulsaJeff
   October 8th, 2009 @ 4:23 pm

   Thank you Alan! I will have to try upping my teabags to 5 and see if I like it that way. Also need to try some of the light brown sugar that you mentioned..sounds really good.

   Jeff

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