Description
Classic Southern Sweet Tea is a refreshing and sugary iced tea made with strong brewed black tea and generous amounts of sugar. This recipe yields a perfectly sweetened, cold tea ideal for hot summer days, served over ice and optionally garnished with lemon slices for a bright finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Tea Base
- 4 cups water
- 4-6 black tea bags (like Lipton)
Sweetener & Finish
- 1 to 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups cold filtered water
- Lemon slices (optional)
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Boil Water: Bring 4 cups of fresh filtered water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan to prepare for tea brewing.
- Steep Tea: Remove the boiling water from heat and submerge 4 to 6 black tea bags; allow them to steep for 5 to 7 minutes to extract strong tea flavor.
- Add Sugar: While the tea is still warm, stir in 1 to 1½ cups of granulated sugar thoroughly until completely dissolved, ensuring the tea is properly sweetened.
- Dilute and Cool: Pour in 4 cups of cold filtered water to the sweetened tea mixture to dilute its strength and cool it down.
- Chill Tea: Transfer the tea into a pitcher, then refrigerate for at least one hour until cold and ready to serve.
- Serve: Pour the chilled sweet tea over ice cubes in tall glasses and garnish with lemon slices if desired for a refreshing presentation.
Notes
- Adjust the number of tea bags and sugar amount to control the strength and sweetness of the tea.
- Use filtered water for the best flavor clarity.
- Steeping time affects the tea’s bitterness; longer steeping results in stronger tea but may be more bitter.
- Lemon slices are optional but add a nice citrus twist that complements the sweetness.
- Sweet tea can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days.
