Sweet Tea!

Seeing's how the clock is ticking on my move to Georgia, I figured I best learn how to make a mean pitcher of sweet tea as is southern tradition down there.  I know you're prolly rolling your eyes going "I know how to make iced tea Jill"...but do you?  Because for the life of me, I couldn't make my sweet tea taste like the McDonald's version of which I am a bonafide addict.  I can't drive by a McD's without going "mmmm tea".  I crave it...all the time.  Now I can make gallons of it at home without driving Jon bonkers asking him to go through the drive thru.  Its really simple to do.

If you've read the news too, there is a lovely report about sun tea.  Remember your mom making that back in the day?  Well did you know you can get all kinds of icky stuff growing in your tea that way?  I never knew that!  I don't want my family swallowing mold and particles of ickiness!  Gross!  What were our mom's thinking?  lol  First no seat belts, letting us drink from the hose outside and now potentially poisoning us with sun tea.  If we all get cancer, we'll blame moms and the sun tea.  :P

So I did alot of research and gallons of taste testing...and here is what I've come up with.  Its not so much about the name brand, as much as the process.  I have used everything from Prince of Wales tea to Irish Breakfast to just plain old Black Pearl black tea.  Use mint tea if you want...same process. Whatever you like, use it. 

And yes, this does say baking soda.  Why?  Couple reasons.  One, we're going for a concentrated brew.  4 bags of tea to 4 cups of boiling water makes for a stiff brew, right?  Well, it can get a wee "bitter".  And the magic that happens with the baking soda is that it removes that bitter aftertaste.  It also gives you that super clear tea.  Sometimes you make tea and its cloudy?  Not anymore.  And its tasteless.  Just try it.  You don't like it or agree - then don't use it.  Simple!  :P

Ooh and btw..I'm using a 2 gallon pitcher right about (I think) so measure accordingly.


Sweet Tea

4 cups of water
4 tea bags  (regular size, not family, not jumbo)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp of baking soda

Get your water to a rolling boil in a saucepan.  Drop in tea bags, remove from heat and steep for 20-30 minutes.  (leave in your saucepan)  In the meantime, add your sugar and the baking soda to your pitcher.  Remove your tea bags from the water but do not squeeze them out or wring them.  Just pitch them.  Pour the tea concentrate into your pitcher and stir very well to dissolve all the sugar.  (very important to avoid sugary grit)  Fill your pitcher up with cold water, stir again and place in fridge to chill.

Side note:  floating a sprig or two of fresh mint in there while chilling gives it a nice light taste but not too overpowering.  Just remove before serving.