Southern Belle Sweet Tea

One thing I bought with me from spending time in the South is that you cannot underestimate the relaxing, cooling effect of a cold glass of sweet tea on hot day. Nothing quite says “summertime” like the simple pleasure of sitting outside and sipping on a glass of sweet tea. As August draws near, I know the hot dog days of summer are on their way, but I’ll be prepared with this refreshing recipe for sweet tea. You too can channel your inner southern belle and have a pitcher of this sweet tea prepared for any parched guests that may be stopping by.

Part of what makes this sweet tea Southerner approved is that it is sweet. Pecan pie, sweet tea, cobblers, banana pudding...Southerners love their sweets. A perfect Southern sweet tea, is also going to be strong. Most recipes of iced tea call for a quick minute dunk of the tea bags, but I like to steep for 10-15 minutes (or more, if I am using a flavored tea).

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A large kettle or saucepan
• A heat resistant spoon
• Pitcher that holds a minimum of 1 gallon, should be heat resistant or glass
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar (feel free to add or subtract sugar for a sweeter or less sweet variation)
• 1 gallon of water
• 6 regular sized black tea bags (I used a black tea infused with peach (pictured below), but you can truly use any tea you prefer)

Directions:
1.Bring half the gallon of water (8 cups) to boil in your large saucepan or kettle.
2.Pour the hot water over the tea bags in the pitcher.
3.Dissolve the sugar in the tea while it is still hot. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in to the tea.
4.Steep the tea bags for a minimum of 10 minutes. Some flavored teas require a longer steeping time to fully express their flavor (for this peach tea, I steeped the bags for 20 minutes).
5.Remove and discard the tea bags.
6.Pour the remaining water (8 cups) on top of the tea and stir.
7.Refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours to ensure that the tea is chilled prior to serving.

Tea is best when served over ice with a lemon wedge.
Most teas will keep in the fridge for one week, if they last that long!