Sweetened iced tea

Here are 2 recipes I found on the internet.

ICED TEA SOUTHERN STYLE

1 1/2 c. water
5 tea bags
2/3 c. sugar (or a little more)
1 glass with ice cubes
Take 1 1/2 cups water and 5 tea bags, then put in microwaveable measuring cup or bowl; bring just to a boil but don't let it start boiling! Press tea bags gently against sides until tea is darker looking.

Pour tea into a 2 quart pitcher straining back teabags as you pour. Fill with water and add 3/4 cup sugar. Stir. A glass of fresh brewed iced tea in less than 5 minutes.

My microwave brings it just to a boil in 4 minutes. Some microwaves take less time.

A squeeze of lemon is good. The Haitians add a squirt of lime to their tea - tastes great.

SOUTHERN ICED TEA

In a stainless steel pan bring 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 family size tea bag. Turn off heat - cover and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour tea into a 2 quart pitcher and add 3/4 to a cup sugar. Add cold water to the tea bag and squeeze out rest of tea. Pour into a pitcher then fill pitcher with cold water - Stir. Pour into a glass with ice and you have a glass of Southern Iced Tea.

WOW ! ! Those recipes are a little comlicated. Make your tea as you usually do ... either Luzianne or Lipton's tea. While the tea is still hot, add the sugar to taste, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Taste. Not sweet enough? add more sugar. Too sweet? Make more tea. Then, add whatevert amount of cold wster suits you. Too, my mother made simple syrup which she kept in the 'fridge. Used it to sweeten the hot tea before adding cold water.
Simple syrup? Half granulated sugar and 1/2 water.

My Grand Mother and Mother always said," the secret to sweetening iced tea is to sweeten it while it is still hot/warm because the suger dissovles better in hot water". So, once you have boiled your water for the tea, steap tea, remove the tea bags and add sugar to your taste. Sweet tea is the best! One secret we use is to make a strong batch of tea, sweeten it with sugar if it is too sweet, you can always add extra water to it without taking away the strenght or sweetness from the tea. Slice lemons, oranges, and limes to use in the tea. I hope this helps.

boil 1 gallon of water, stir in 10lbs of sugar until completely dissolved. add to 1/4 mixture to 2 gallons of fresh brewed tea. YUMMY!!! (you can break it down as needed)

Southern Sweet tea is just iced tea that has sugar dissolved in it.

I think the reason people think there is something mysterious about the taste is that tea sold in the South has chicory in it. Try buying Lipton, Tedley, or Lousianne (sp) in the south and then just make iced tea as usual.

You have got it all wrong. Down here in the south all you have to do is use 2 gallon size tea bags or 5 regular tea bags, boil them over the stove-or brew them in the coffepot as you would coffee-just fill up your pot with water. Add 2 cups granulated sugar to a gallon pitcher. Add the hot tea (discarding the bags if necessary), stir and fill the pitcher up with cold water. It is that simple.

REAL Southern iced tea....... the kind your Granny made........ it is not rocket science, but if not done properly, will turn out horribly.

1. DO NOT use a metal pan unless you want a metallic taste to your tea

2. DO NOT use a plastic picture unless you want a plastic taste in your tea.

3. DO NOT serve the tea "warm over ice." Make sure it is COLD before pouring over ice to serve. Not many things worse that watered down tea from melting ice cubes. YUCK!!

4. DO NOT put lemon rinds in your tea prior to serving, or it will turn bitter quickly. You could use the juice of a lemon in your tea, but I prefer, as does my family and guests, to have a wedge of lemon served with each individual glass. This way, you get the flavor of the lemon without the bitterness of day old lemon rind sitting in your tea.

5. Just plain old tea, like orange pekoe is all you need. No fancy "chicory" stuff.

6. The standard recipe, which is usually doubled around here, is:

   4 cups water
   6 regular size tea bags
   1 cup sugar

   Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep until desired strength, usually 10-15 minutes. Pour sugar into a 2 quart glass picture and add the tea, removing and squeezing excess from bags. Stir briskly to dissolve sugar, then add enough cold water to make the remainder of the 2 quarts. CHILL WELL before serving over ice with a wedge of lemon.

This is how my Granny made sweet tea and I have been making it this way for over 40 years. It's the only tea I will drink.
This one is for true southerners only ;)
Southern Sweet Tea:
6 regular Luzianne tea bags
1/8 teaspoon baking soda(darkens the tea & takes out the bitterness)
5 cups boiling water
1 1/2-2 cups sugar
cold water
Lemon widges if desired
Makes 1 Gallon.

15 mins prep time.

In a large glass measuring cup, place the tea bags and add the baking soda.
Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes.
Take out the tea bags and DO NOT squeeze them.
Pour the tea mixture into a Gallon pitcher; add the sugar.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add in the cold water.
Let cool; chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice and add a lemon widge if desired.
Enjoy the best Iced Tea you have ever tasted!