Make Sweet Tea?

Boats

Boats

Joined
Aug 7, 2003
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C'mon Southerners, help me out please. I got hooked to the stuff while in the Navy, and every summer I try to make my own going off of memory, but it is inconsistent, some tries being closer than others. What is the actual way that authentic sweet tea is made as regards the ratio of the ingredients?
 
NC, this is how i learned it, was 10-12 tea bags in a 2 quart of water on the stove with 2 and a halfcups of sugar or till its decent syrup... then pour into about a gallon and a half of water. sugar and lemon to taste... its been a while i had to go off the liquid sugar. the other way was to get a big gallon jug or old cleaned pickle jar and 6 tea bags make up a sugar syrup and make sun tea then sugar it after wards to taste... theres an agava liquid that disolves well even in cold liquids and ads a nice sweet kick.
 
I am alot simpler than that, 1 gallon tea picture of hot tap water.... 2 1/2 cups of Sugar ,4 lipton family size tea bags. Stir & let it set for an hour or so. pour over Ice or toss it in the Fridge ...
 
The single most important factor to making sweet tea is that you MUST pour the sugar into the hot tea before you add water to thin it out.

My way is: bring 4 tea bags in about 3 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Discard the bags and pour the water into a piture with sugar. I like 1 cup sugar per gal of water. Mix the sugar and hot water. Fill to top with cold water and put in fridge.

Just remember the secret with sweet tea is that the sugar HAS to mixed with hot water before it touches anything cold.
 
jawilder said:
The single most important factor to making sweet tea is that you MUST pour the sugar into the hot tea before you add water to thin it out.

My way is: bring 4 tea bags in about 3 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Discard the bags and pour the water into a piture with sugar. I like 1 cup sugar per gal of water. Mix the sugar and hot water. Fill to top with cold water and put in fridge.

Just remember the secret with sweet tea is that the sugar HAS to mixed with hot water before it touches anything cold.
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This the sugar has to go in when it's still hot. Also, i run hotwater from the tap over my teabags in the pan that i boiled the water in, then pour that in the pitcher ato finish filling it up.


Also, who doesn't know how to make tea?!?!? this was my job when i was like 5 before dinner if we were out....

On a side note i'm going to make some at lunch thanks to this thread....
 
This is an awesome thread. I love sweet tea and have only bought it.(Arizona Sweet Tea). Tonight I will make my own, thanks.
I have only made my own sun tea.
 
Like the others have said, make sure that the sugar goes into a hot liquid.

Since it is summer, get a 1 gallon tea dispenser (glass) from Walmart. Fill with water and hang 6 tea bags over the edge by their strings and screw on the lid. Place out in the sun on your way to work and it is ready when you get home. Add sugar to taste and place in the fridge.

During the colder months, boil the tea bags in 2 quarts of water and pour the liquid into the gallon jar. Add sugar and stir til dissolved. Fill jug with cold water and stir.

You can adjust the number of tea bags and the amount of sugar to your taste.

Hope this help.
 
texastonydobbs said:
I am alot simpler than that, 1 gallon tea picture of hot tap water.... 2 1/2 cups of Sugar ,4 lipton family size tea bags. Stir & let it set for an hour or so. pour over Ice or toss it in the Fridge ...
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i am with him on this one. mine is very very similar.. like most poor the sugar in HOT water and stir..
 
somberbear is close to the way the family does it. You want to make a syrup of sugar and tea. Usually a gallon of water brought to a boil, enough tea bags to make 2 gallons per their instructions, and 3 to 4 cups of sugar. Take it to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Then cut the mix with ice cold water to get the consistency where you want it.
 
texastonydobbs said:
I am alot simpler than that, 1 gallon tea picture of hot tap water.... 2 1/2 cups of Sugar ,4 lipton family size tea bags. Stir & let it set for an hour or so. pour over Ice or toss it in the Fridge ...
Click to expand...

This is me but with 6 teabags. I like mine a little bit stronger.

The main trick to remember when making Dylan's famous sweet tea is to STEEP not boil. Do not boil the teabags. Bring your water to a good boil, remove from heat, drop in the teabags, cover, and leave for 25 minutes.
 
My wife does something similar to everyone else. She makes a syrup out of 2 cups of sugar to a quart of hot water. She then boils 3 family sized Luzianne family sized tea bags in a 2 quarts of water pour this into the sugar mixture and fill the rest of the way up with cold tap water, put ice in a glass add tea and enjoy.
 
I cheat buy two gallons of red diamond sweet tea ever three days for my family. don't hardly even buy cokes any more
 
texastonydobbs said:
I am alot simpler than that, 1 gallon tea picture of hot tap water.... 2 1/2 cups of Sugar ,4 lipton family size tea bags. Stir & let it set for an hour or so. pour over Ice or toss it in the Fridge ...
Click to expand...

:eek:no wonder i can't stand that stuff! 2 1/2 cups of sugar!:eek: i'll buy you a 5lb bag of sugar and a box of tea bags and when you come for the weekend you can make your own! lol
 
3 Cups of sugar/ ea gallon of tea. If you use 3 of the family size tea bags (Lipton is good), run it through your coffee maker, makes a good gallon of sweet tea. That Nestle shit you get at the store sucks.
 
Mrs.Shotgunner11 said:
i'm kidding.......you really think I would invite you for the weekend and make you make your own tea!?
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I sort of how this vision of your kids stirring the tea with their hands like the kids did in the movie Vacation! :D
 
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