Saturday, May 30, 2015

Southern Sweet Tea for the Dog Days of Summer

#Recipe from @Peg Cochran

I know it's heresy--a "Northerner" giving you a recipe for the ubiquitous drink of the South!  But to be honest with you, I never quite knew how to make really good iced tea--it would be bitter, too weak, too strong, etc.  So I started looking for an honest-to-goodness recipe and found this one which I've tweaked a bit to suit us.

According to American Table, the first published recipe for sweetened, non-alcoholic iced tea appeared in Marion Campbell Tyree’s 1879 community cookbook Housekeeping in Old Virginia Containing Contributions from 250 Ladies in Virginia and Her Sister States.  Quite a mouthful, isn't it?

And most of the tea used back then was green tea which is suddenly so in vogue again and which, during World War II, became impossible to get since it was imported from Japan--that's when black tea began appearing in everyone's cup.

 Use six tea bags.  I like to mix it up--some black tea, some green tea and, in this case, some Zen tea from Tazo with green tea, lemongrass and spearmint.


Bring two cups of water to the boil.

Add tea bags and sugar.  Recipe calls for 3/4 cup but that is way too sweet to us.  We substitute 1/3 cup of Splenda, but experiment to see what you prefer.  Cover and let tea steep for 15 minutes

The secret to iced tea that isn't bitter--a pinch of baking soda!


Add six cups of cold water or cold water mixed with ice if you want to drink it right away--although the recipe in Marion Tyree's cookbook gently suggests that if you want the tea for dinner, you should make it at breakfast!  Use a pretty pitcher or a utilitarian container that can go in the fridge with no fear of breaking.

_
 Pour into a pretty glass, sit back, put your feet up and enjoy.


If you'd like to visit a world where there's plenty of sweet tea and a dash of...murder...you might enjoy my Sweet Nothings Lingerie Series written as Meg London.



17 comments:

  1. Thanks for letting me know about the baking soda. One reason I don't drink a lot of iced tea was because of the bitterness.

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    1. I always felt the same way but just that pinch of baking soda takes away that tannic taste.

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  2. I will have to try this sometime. That's very interesting about the green tea.

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    1. I was really surprised about the green tea as well! I thought that was a recent fad but obviously not.

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  3. That baking soda tip may be a game-changer. It's also really nice to have proportions, rather than just guessing about amounts. And there could be some chemical process that happens when it "mellows" for a while. All good!

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    1. I used to make it that way too--just guessing--enough water? Too much tea? It's surprising how much better it is with the correct proportions!

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  4. There is nothing like a ice cold glass of sweet tea, sitting in the back yard by the pool with a good book!!
    The baking soda is interesting to me. I don't find my sweet tea bitter; but I also make unsweetened tea and that can be a bit bitter. I will be trying the baking soda tip with my next pitcher. Thannk you so much for the suiggestion.

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    1. We don't make our iced tea super sweet--just never developed a taste for a cup of coffee or tea with more than a scant two teaspoons of sugar so perhaps the bitterness doesn't come through when you add more sweetness. I found the baking soda works!

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  5. I make my tea exactly the same way, unless I am in a big hurry then I us my old coffee maker (since I use the Keric now) and I use two large family tea bags and 10 cups of water. 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 Stevia and a pinch of baking soda. Love my tea.... can't go without it.

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    1. That's a great idea to use your old coffee maker!

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  6. You can also brew the tea in the refrigerator. That tends to lessen the bitterness.
    Over-brewing (too much time) in hot water releases more tannins.

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  7. I love my hot tea sweetened, but oddly enough, I prefer unsweetened iced tea. Weird, huh? My favorite is Twinings blackcurrent tea. Just a hint of fruitiness!

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  8. I always use baking soda for fridge odors or back-up toothpaste, but this is a wild idea. I will try it!

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    1. Baking soda is amazing! Another trick--if you have a pan with crusted on food--sprinkle some baking soda on it, add water and let it soak for a bit. The crusty bits will come right off.

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  9. Terrific, Peg. I had no idea how to go about it. It's even less of a thing in Canada, but really, now I'll try it in the summer.

    Thanks!

    MJ

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