vmburns: It's summer. It's hot and nothing quenches my thirst like a glass of sweet tea. I'm from the Midwest, but I have lived in the South for over ten years. When I first moved here, I thought sweet tea was simply iced tea with sugar added for me. But, I was wrong. Southerners (especially the folks in Eastern Tennessee) take their sweet tea very seriously. Apparently, there are rules about making sweet tea. I will admit to you all, that I mocked those rules at first. However, the longer I've lived in the South, the more I've come to appreciate a good glass of freshly brewed sweet tea. So, here's my version.
SWEET TEA
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place sugar into a gallon pitcher and cover with equal amounts of water (if you use 2 cups of sugar, then use 2 cups of water). Stir until the sugar dissolves to make a simple syrup.
- Add the remaining cups of water to a pot. Cover and bring the water to a boil. DO NOT ADD THE TEA BAGS YET. You want freshly BREWED tea, not STEWED tea.
- Remove the boiled water and add the tea bags. Allow the tea bags to steep for approximately 12 minutes.
- Squeeze the tea bags and then toss them away. Add the brewed tea to the pitcher with the simple syrup and stir.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before moving to your refrigerator.
READERS: What's your tea preference? Sweet or Unsweetened Tea? - Let me know in the comments for a chance to win a copy of MURDER IS A PIECE OF CAKE the second book in the Baker Street Mystery Series (US Only). Please remember to include your email address if you want to be included in the giveaway.
With small-town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews.
There’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes knife stuck in his back.
There’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes knife stuck in his back.
Not a tea drinker. cheetahthecat1982ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteKim, that's quite alright. Thank you for commenting and good luck!
DeleteHot or cold I drink tea with nothing added. I do have friends who enjoy their tea sweetened and in the summer I try to have iced tead ready when they visit. Thanks for these tips. I am going to give this tea a try. lroth(at)pcext(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI hope your friends like it. Thanks and good luck!
DeleteI usually take my iced tea unsweetened but this does sound like a treat. Probably my two favourite special iced teas are the peppermint with honey my mother makes or Earl Grey (which I seem to wind up making at least once a summer without sugar for me but everyone else prefers it with). Refreshing.
ReplyDeleteAnissa, I love earl grey and I discovered a Cream Earl Grey or Lady Grey that is smooth and delicious. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteDefinitely a sweet tea lover. Thanks for the tip about ice and lemon not being in the pitcher.
ReplyDeleteJess
Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
You are welcome! Good luck!
DeleteWas a Sweet Tea lover but unfortunately had to go unsweetened, We have iced tea all year long not just for the summer, thanks for the recipe, Rosemarie- roseb2007@verizon.net
ReplyDeleteI agree about tea being good all year long. I drink it all year, too. However, there is something about drinking it in the summer that just feels right. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteVery true about the summer iced tea being the Best Time of Year for the most delicious beverage for sitting on the porch or under the shade tree enjoying all the sounds of summer. Thanks for selecting me! Rosemarie-roseb2007@verizon.net
DeleteI love sweet tea, especially from the South.
ReplyDeleteHi Dru Ann! I love sweet tea, too. Southerners have perfected the sweet tea! Maybe I need to do a Southern Sweet Tea taste comparison. I wonder if North Carolina Sweet Tea is the same as Tennessee Sweet Tea? Inquiring minds want to know. :-)
DeleteI converted from sweet tea to unsweet. THEN I discovered Arnold Palmers! I usually use 1/2 lemonade with 1/2 unsweet tea but will sometimes alter the ratio. I will use your tip of not adding the tea bags to the boiling water and steeping a little longer. Right now I am reading the Dog Club mystery series. (I am caught up with the Mystery Bookshop series). Would love to win, thank you for the chance AND thank you for the fun books you write. madamhawk at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI love a good Arnold Palmer, too. I hope you enjoy the Dog Club Mystery series. It was fun to write and absolutely loved including a different breed of dog in each book. Good luck!
DeleteLove sweet tea! I enjoy it with sliced lemons and sometimes sliced peaches. Thanks for the chance! Love your books.
ReplyDeletejarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
Oh, I love sliced peaches in tea, also. I love peach tea, too. So yummy. Thanks for commenting and for the kind words. Good luck!
DeleteI drink unsweetened tea nowadays. I lived in the South for 15 years and this is a great sweet tea recipe. I thought sweet tea was simply adding sugar to tea, but quickly learned when I lived down there that sweet tea is a serious recipe. Thank you for the chance to win. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteSweet tea is almost a religious event in the South. I am glad that I wasn't the only one who thought it was just adding sugar to regular iced tea. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
DeleteNot an iced tea drinker. Hot, I drink it without anything added.
ReplyDeleteWskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
Awesome. A hot tea purist! Thank you for commenting and good luck!
Deletedefinitely not sweetened unless it is chi
ReplyDeletefruitcrmble AT comcast DOT net
Chi is not one of my normal teas, but maybe I'll give it a try. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteI've never cared for tea, but maybe I just never had it the right way. Congratulations on another book! ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteThank you! I watched a show on teas and learned so much. It is amazing how vast and varied it is. I always wonder, who was the first person to think about boiling the leaves to make a beverage. :-) Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteI grew up drinking sweet tea, but now prefer unsweetened. We sometimes add lemonade or orange juice during the summer months. Thanks for the recipe tips! lucylaw13@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOrange juice? I'm intrigued. I'll need to give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion and good luck!
DeleteThank you, Valerie! Just looking at your photos entices me to take a sip of your ice-cold sweet tea, since summer has finally arrived in SoCal! Thank you for the recipe, and for your delightful writing!!! luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteLuis, you are so kind. Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate you. Good luck!
DeleteSweet tea is my favorite! I also like hibiscus tea!
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Nancy, I haven't had hibiscus tea in ages. Maybe I'll give that a try, too. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
DeleteI am a life long tea drinker. Hot or cold with a little sugar.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
Libby, I enjoy both also, but I think I'm more partial to iced. Of course, it could just be the heat of summer talking. When it gets cold, I'll probably say that hot tea is my favorite. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
DeleteI've never developed a taste for tea, but it's also not as popular here so I haven't had much of it either. My dad used to make sun tea once in awhile over summer, and my mom talks about her grandpa's dandelion tea and wine recipes.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Alicia, I was sitting outside yesterday and thinking that it was so hot, I could make sun tea. I have never tried dandelion tea, but I certainly have enough in my yard. I might need to put them to good use. :-) Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteI start with unsweetened tea and add just enough sugar to taste so it's not overwhelmingly sweet. patdupuy@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletePat, that sounds like a good strategy. That way you can control the sweetness. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
DeleteI grew up drinking sun tea, without sugar, so the sweet rea of the South just doesn't appeal to me. The best sun sea I've had is made with loose tea leaves instead of tea bags. It is fussy work straining out the leaves, but the flavor is worth it. kimmwrtr (at) yahoo (sot) com
ReplyDeleteI never had loose tea until my first trip to England. Then, I became obsessed. I have multiple strainers for the leaves, but I use loose-leaf teas for hot tea. I might have to experiment the next time I make sweet tea. Thanks for the idea and good luck!
DeleteHi! I would love to win this book!! I live in Northern CA and I drink cold unsweetened iced tea every day! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLinda, I am sure the unsweetened tea is better for your health, but. . . oh the joy of sweet tea! lol Thanks for the comment and good luck!
DeleteNot a huge iced tea fan, but when I do drink it, it is not sweetened. Mostly am a water drinker. Thanks! makennedyinaz(at)hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I am trying to become more of a water drinker. It is good for me (at least, that's what my doctor tells me). lol Thanks for the comments and good luck!
DeleteI love sweet tea with ice and lemon 🍋. I drink it all year, not just in the summer.
ReplyDeletediannekc(at)gmail(dot)com
Dianne, thank you for the comment. I love ice and lemon, too. Good luck!
DeleteI love mine sweet and I use Harney and Sons blood orange iced tea bags. I add orange slices last. So delicious and refreshing! cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteCherie, OMG! I love orange teas. I'm going to look up this brand. It sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
DeleteIced Tea, I like mine sweet.
ReplyDeleteSweet iced tea with lemon is my favorite. I read the first book in the series and I'm looking forward to the next one! tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI like tea sweet but not as sweet as that I use 1/2 cup sugar for 2 quarts of tea. Prefer Lipton Orange Pekoe Black Tea Thank you deborahortega229@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete