How to Make Southern Style Sweet Iced Tea

Southern sweet tea is sometimes served with a lemon wedge.

It's tough to define what Southern style sweet tea is, but the taste is undeniable. As the name suggests, southern tea is extremely sweet due to a heavy dose of sugar. Some recipes even call for a sugary syrup. It is usually served with a lemon wedge.

Things You'll Need

• 2 family sized tea bags
• 1 3/4 cups of sugar
• Pot
• 1 gallon tea pitcher
• Ice

Instructions

1. Fill the pot three quarters full with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Put the two tea bags into the hot water and let it steep for 20 minutes. For strong tea, do three tea bags or let to two bags steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the tea from the pot into the tea pitcher.

3. Add sugar to the tea and stir until the sugar dissolves.

4. Fill the pitcher with water, and stir the tea for a minute or two. It can be served immediately over ice or refrigerated to serve later.

Tips & Warnings

• Southern style iced tea tastes great with lemon wedges or a drop or two of lemon juice.

• If you don't have access to a stove while you are making tea, you can use the family sized cold brew tea bags. If you use the cold brew tea bags, you will want to use three tea bags because it's not quite as strong as brewed tea. It will still give you the same great taste as brewed tea.

• The tea will go sour fast in room temperature. Put ice cubes in any tea that must sit out for any significant length of time.

References

• Grits: Sweet Tea Recipes