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Ok, here it is..... the recipe for sweet tea, southern style. There is a hot brew method and a cold brew method. This is the hot brew method. Cold brew is slightly easier, but needs sunlight to work right.
You'll need 7 - 10 regular tea bags (orange pekoe or an orange pekoe and black blend, usually)
Hot water
A Gallon container (Glass is best. You can use <i>hard</i> plastic, if you have to, and <b>never</b> use metal.... we always used an old pickle jar, but you can buy one that will work. Walmart and Kmart and Target all carry something that will work)
Sugar to taste.... My family always used about a cup of sugar. I use about a third to a half cup of Splenda, since I have to watch my carbs. I wouldn't use Equal or Sweet'n'Low, they make it taste funny.
Heat your water to nearly a boil. (I've used tap water at its hottest, but we keep our water heater VERY hot....) You'll want to temper the container if you're using glass... you can run it under hot tap water to do that, it works just fine. Drop the teabags into the gallon container (I personally use 8. Some like it stronger or weaker, but I've found 8 to be perfect) and pour the hot water over them. Put the lid on the container (if it doesn't have a lid, plastic cling wrap will work) and put it aside on the counter. Let it sit for at least a half hour, though longer won't hurt it. (As a matter of fact, if you leave it and forget it, this is the only tea that won't get bitter if it sits for a long time.) As soon as the water is cool enough for you to touch, it's perfect.... Open the container and fish out the teabags and discard. Sweeten to taste.
If you don't drink it quickly, you <i>must</i> refrigerate it. It will go sour if you leave it out for any length of time. (by length of time, I mean more than a couple of days, lol.... it does keep for a while)
We drink enough of it at home that my mom keeps two jars.... one in the fridge and when it's low, the other one has tea in it brewing. It's the steeping that gives southern tea such a full bodied flavor that works well with the sugar.... the stuff you get in restaurants is drip brewed, or instant, and doesn't taste like tea at all, to me.... tastes like brown water with sugar in it.
For the record, cold brewing, to me, tastes even better.... takes a little longer, but it's so good in the summertime....
Same recipe, but leave out the hot water. Pour cold water over the tea bags, and leave in the sun. It takes at LEAST an hour.... you'll know its ready when the tea is a that beautiful deep red-brown color. My mom calls the cold brew method "hippie tea", lol.
Oh, and in the summer, either method ROCKS if you add one or two mint tea bags to the recipe. I actually substitute at least one, usually two teabags with mint, but I like it REALLY minty.... adding it is best the first time. It makes a crisp, refreshing southern mint tea that is wonderful when it's hot. You can do the same with peach tea bags, and any other that catches your fancy. Your fruit flavors and mint are best for that.
Have fun.... Southern tea is a staple down here.... We drink more of it than we do cokes.
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