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Southern sweet tea

Southern Iced Sweet Tea

This Southern sweet tea proves that a genuinely smooth, syrupy summer recipe requires nothing beyond black tea, sugar, and the patience to dissolve that sugar while the tea is still hot. You follow the ten-minute steep, the hot-sugar rule, and the counter-cooling step before refrigerating, and the pitcher rivals anything served at a roadside barbecue joint. Whether you drink it plain or dress it up with lemon and mint, this recipe turns a broken air conditioner into an excuse to make the best glass of sweet tea in the neighborhood.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Southern
Calories: 100
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups water, divided
  • 6 black tea bags
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Ice cubes for serving
  • Lemon slices for serving (optional)

Equipment

  • Large heatproof pitcher
  • Medium saucepan
  • Long spoon

Method
 

  1. Boil the water
    You pour four cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. You stay near the stove throughout this step, since walking away risks boiling the water dry.
  2. Steep the tea
    You remove the saucepan from the heat and add the six black tea bags directly to the hot water, letting them steep for ten minutes. You set a timer for this step, since leaving the bags in for an hour turns the tea bitter and tastes like tree bark.
  3. Dissolve the sugar
    You remove the steeped tea bags without squeezing them and pour the hot brewed tea into a large heatproof pitcher. You add the granulated sugar and stir until it dissolves completely into the hot liquid.
  4. Add the remaining water
    You pour the remaining four cups of water into the sweetened tea and stir well, which cools the mixture down enough to avoid raising the temperature inside your fridge later.
  5. Chill the tea
    You let the tea cool slightly on the counter, then place the pitcher in the refrigerator until fully cold.
  6. Serve over ice
    You fill glasses with ice cubes, pour the chilled sweet tea over the top, and add fresh lemon slices if desired.