Sweet Tea?? OT I guess...

Carolina Q

Ok, the recent sweet tea discussion got me started so I guess I'll ask some embarassingly stupid questions. No one north of NC need reply. Unless you're a transplant.

I have enjoyed my share of sweet tea (yes, normal, SOUTHERN sweet tea) over the years, but I have to admit, I have never actually MADE any myself. In fact, the only tea I have ever made has been either Twining's English Breakfast tea or the like (one tea bag for a single cup of hot tea about once a year or so) or instant (cold water, instant tea and sugar - stir and serve). Not proud of it, but there you go.

So, I asked Mr./Ms. Google how to make sweet tea and gave it a go today, Using the Twining's I had on hand. Not bad, but it was not Southern sweet tea. Actually, it was the best tea I've had in a while (that instant stuff, ya know?). But it didn't taste "right". Here's what I did... 

Wanted to make 1/2 gallon so I boiled 3 cups of water and poured it over 8 regular (not family sized) English Breakfast tea bags (what I had on hand). Let it steep for about 7 minutes. Methods I found said 5 or 10 minutes, so I split the difference. Then, I added 3/4 cup of sugar and stirred until the sugar was dissolved. Poured it into a 1/2 gallon pitcher and topped it off with cold water. I don't care for lemon tea so none added. 

My questions...

How do YOU make sweet tea?  
What brand or type of tea bags do you recommend? How many, what size (per gallon, per quart, whatever)?
How much sugar? (per gallon or per quart) So I'll think I was drinking tea from your favorite Q joint or seafood restaurant.

There, have your fun at my expense. I can take it. I'm just tired of drinking crappy tea. Thanks, y'all.

Scottborasjr

My mom uses Luzianne tea to make hers. I'm not sure of how much sugar and everything but she's from central S.C. And has used it as long as I can remember.

Eggcelsior

I use red rose tea. Boil 1/2 gallon of water. Turn off and add 8-12 tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes and add 1/2-2 cups of sugar, depending on preference.

I don't typically make concentrate, so I go all the way from the start.

Red Rose is actually a Canadian brand, but we were introduced to it when living in North Carolina. In regards to sugar, start with 1/2 and add more in quarter cup increments until you hit your "sweet spot".

stemc33

I think it only taste so good down south because it's so freaking hot down there. Walking outside damn near causes heat stroke. Tea is especially good, but everything I've drank there tastes better. Gatorade is the same recipe wherever you go, but it taste extremely better down there.

Anyway, I hope you find the concoction you're looking for. Regardless, it'll still taste better down south.  

Carolina Q

stemc33 said:

Regardless, it'll still taste better down south.  

It always has.

onedbguru

We get Lipton LOOSE tea and use 1/4cup to 20 cups of water in a dedicated "coffee" maker.  Then for Southern Sweet tea it is 3/4-1cup of sugar. (an actual recipe I saw called for 4 cups of sugar to 1gal of tea.  Not sure I would qualify Twinnings as "tea" in the context of Southern sweet tea. 

When we were first married (late 70's) we used to have sweet tea all the time, then there was the great sugar shortage causing a 5lb bag of sugar to go from about $1.50 to more than $5.00 and being on a shoestring budget at the time, we learned (and now prefer) to drink unsweet tea. Especially if it is brewed as strong as we make it. 

GaBGE

Luzianne tea bags. Put 3 bags in a small pot of water, heat until it's starts to boil. Turn heat off and let it steep. If you let it continue to boil it will break the bag and have tea grounds in your finished product. Mix the hot tea with 2 cups of sugar(more or less to taste, 2 cups will make it pretty sweet though) in a one gallon tea pitcher. Fill pitcher with water to make one gallon. 

Botch

I'm gonna go just a little Off-Topic, hope the OP doesn't mind.
Here's my favorite tea recipe, and it's NOT sweet: Two Lipton Family-size tea bags into a gallon of cold water, as you would make sun tea, but I don't put it into the sun.  I put it straight into the fridge, have 3 gallon-size containers rotating (I drink a lot of tea).  The result isn't strong, but I find it extremely clean-tasting, and it's all I drink (well, before happy hour anyway).  
Incidently, after living in many places in the US, I've learned that the local water has a big effect on the taste of my weak, unbrewed tea.  Best water for it, so far, is from Dayton OH.  Haven't lived there since '87, but during a recent TDY about 4 years ago, I made a batch in my motel room, and, yup, it was fantastic.  So there you go.  

Hokie_Smoker

Many years ago I worked at Cracker Barrel and we made a #%^*load of sweet tea. We had gallon sized tea bags but added 4 cups of sugar per gallon of tea. As far as I know this is still the measurement.

northGAcock

I was raised on Luzianne tea. They make them in several sizes. Usually the one bag per quart size is what I use. Boil about a quart of water....when boiling remove from heat and steep a couple of tea bags. There is no rush here.....just relax.... when ready, pour into a pitcher, add a cup of sugar (more or less depending on your preference. Stir untill desolved. Note....you can disolve sugar in warm or at room teampreture..but not after it is refrigerated. Add tap water to the pitcher to fill and stir. Pour over ice and add a lemon wedge if desired. 

Carolina Q

Hokie_Smoker said:

Many years ago I worked at Cracker Barrel and we made a #%^*load of sweet tea. We had gallon sized tea bags but added 4 cups of sugar per gallon of tea. As far as I know this is still the measurement.

Wow! That's a LOT of sugar!! The problem with anything from CB is, every single meal I have had there... sucked! A lot. Mom and my brother seem to like the place, so I go with them from time to time. Last time, I told them if I ever go again, I will order water. Tired of wasting money on the food.

Don't recall whether or not I ever had their tea.

Carolina Q

GaBGE said:

Luzianne tea bags. Put 3 bags in a small pot of water...

What size bags? Family size, I presume?

Jstroke

Carolina Q I am right there with you. I went there for the first time in at least ten years for breakfast last week due to business. It was down right awful. Everything was overdone except the grits. They were soupy and looked like cream of wheat. I would rather go hungry first.

JohnnyTarheel

Ok...  Here it is ...  This is iced tea as it should be... I have enough experience and have tried out hundreds and hundreds of places to know great sweet tea... 

Put 2 Lipton family size tea bags in a non-metal pot and bring to a boil
Take it off the heat and cover for 45 min to let steep
In gallon pitcher mix 1-1/2 cups sugar in 4 cups warm water to dissolve sugar
Add the steeped tea and additional water to equal one gallon

Then ENJOY!!!!

500

I followed THIS RECIPE using Luzianne family size bags.  Pretty tasty.

Somewhat OT from this post, but related.  I make tea infused vodka for John Daly cocktails.  Cold steep 2 family size Luzianne  tea bags in a fifth of Tito's vodka for two hours.  Fill a double rocks glass with ice, fill glass with half tea infused Tito's and half Simply Lemonade, and a lemon wheel and a stir straw.  Perfect boozy hot weather drink.

Jstroke

That sounds awesome and I am doing that tomorrow

500

Can't say the idea was my own.  I riffed on THIS RECIPE I found.  Second weekend in a row making these.  Tasty, easy to make, and easy to drink.

stemc33

JohnnyTarheel said:

Ok...  Here it is ...  This is iced tea as it should be... I have enough experience and have tried out hundreds and hundreds of places to know great sweet tea... 

Put 2 Lipton family size tea bags in a non-metal pot and bring to a boil
Take it off the heat and cover for 45 min to let steep
In gallon pitcher mix 1-1/2 cups sugar in 4 cups warm water to dissolve sugar
Add the steeped tea and additional water to equal one gallon

Then ENJOY!!!!

I also like1.5 cups of sugar per gallon. I've tried to cutback since I drink close to a gallon per day without success. 

Carolina Q

JohnnyTarheel said:

Ok...  Here it is ...  This is iced tea as it should be... I have enough experience and have tried out hundreds and hundreds of places to know great sweet tea... 

Put 2 Lipton family size tea bags in a non-metal pot and bring to a boil
Take it off the heat and cover for 45 min to let steep
In gallon pitcher mix 1-1/2 cups sugar in 4 cups warm water to dissolve sugar
Add the steeped tea and additional water to equal one gallon

Then ENJOY!!!!

Non-metal pot? Microwave?

45 minutes?! Typo?

Legume

We make john daly's by adding bourbon to an Arnold Palmer, I may have to try the infused vodka route.  I've tried the store bought tea flavored vodka and don't like it.

I only make sun tea and I use two big Luzianne bags, two regular size mint tea bags in a one gallon sun tea jar with cold water, takes about an hour if I set the jar on the stainless steel top of my gasser.  The mint cools you off, it's not 'minty'.  I know this isn't what you asked, just thought I would share.

500

Good idea with the mint.  I think my next batch of tea vodka will also have some sprigs of mint in the infusion.  I think the mint will take longer, maybe two or three days in the vodka.  or taking another route would be to make mint simple syrup, and add that with fresh lemon juice and water to the tea vodka.  I agree the store bought sweat tea vodkas taste kind of off.

Carolina Q

Legume said:

We make john daly's by adding bourbon to an Arnold Palmer, I may have to try the infused vodka route.  I've tried the store bought tea flavored vodka and don't like it.

I only make sun tea and I use two big Luzianne bags, two regular size mint tea bags in a one gallon sun tea jar with cold water, takes about an hour if I set the jar on the stainless steel top of my gasser.  The mint cools you off, it's not 'minty'.  I know this isn't what you asked, just thought I would share.

I have no idea what a john daly or arnold palmer are. Of course, I know WHO they are, just nothing about their drinks.

As for sun tea, I just read the link 500 mentioned above and it sounds like that may not be such a good idea... http://amazingribs.com/recipes/drinks/southern_sweet_tea.html

stemc33

What...Did you say you didn't know what an Arnold Palmer was? You might be on the wrong quest. 

Carolina Q

stemc33 said:

What...Did you say you didn't know what an Arnold Palmer was? You might be on the wrong quest. 

Correct, I didn't know - so I just looked it up. Tea and lemonade? No lemon in my tea please. 

JohnnyTarheel

Carolina Q said:

JohnnyTarheel said:

Ok...  Here it is ...  This is iced tea as it should be... I have enough experience and have tried out hundreds and hundreds of places to know great sweet tea... 

Put 2 Lipton family size tea bags in a non-metal pot and bring to a boil
Take it off the heat and cover for 45 min to let steep
In gallon pitcher mix 1-1/2 cups sugar in 4 cups warm water to dissolve sugar
Add the steeped tea and additional water to equal one gallon

Then ENJOY!!!!

Non-metal pot? Microwave?

45 minutes?! Typo?

I use like a Corning Ware pot on stove top.. No microwave...  You need the 45 minutes for it to steep properly.  

RRP

yo, Michael - as a Type 2 diabetic I happen to watch my sugar intake. Here's a link to consider before you tank up on sweet tea.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/11-ways-to-quit-sugar-for-good/ss-AAc3XKC

Carolina Q

RRP said:

yo, Michael - as a Type 2 diabetic I happen to watch my sugar intake. Here's a link to consider before you tank up on sweet tea.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/11-ways-to-quit-sugar-for-good/ss-AAc3XKC

Thanks, Ron. I probably eat more sugar than I realize, but I really don't think I eat too much. I flipped through the slideshow in the link you posted and found very few things I eat. No pies, no cakes, no ice cream, no candy. I eat few processed foods in general, rarely cereal. I don't remember the last soft drink I had. I don't even put sugar in my coffee, or in most anything else. Not because of sugar, because most of that crap has too much sodium and sat fat. 

I did have a Krispy Kreme donut though... sometime last summer.

rifrench

If I had lived healthier in my younger years, I could enjoy sweet tea! Diabetic now, so no added sugar, sweets, etc. I used to love sweet tea with lemon!

SmokeyPitt

500 said:

I followed THIS RECIPE using Luzianne family size bags.  Pretty tasty.

Somewhat OT from this post, but related.  I make tea infused vodka for John Daly cocktails.  Cold steep 2 family size Luzianne  tea bags in a fifth of Tito's vodka for two hours.  Fill a double rocks glass with ice, fill glass with half tea infused Tito's and half Simply Lemonade, and a lemon wheel and a stir straw.  Perfect boozy hot weather drink.

I have always done it just like this except I fill the pitcher 1/2 with ice and drink it right away. 
1) Boil water
2) Turn off water, add tea bags and steep 5-10 minutes
3) Stir in sugar (I only use about a cup). 
4) fill pitcher about 1/2 way with ice. 
5) remove tea bags (I usually squeeze them), and pour tea over ice. 
6) fill pitcher the rest with cold water, stir and drink. 

MrCookingNurse

SmokeyPitt said:

500 said:

I followed THIS RECIPE using Luzianne family size bags.  Pretty tasty.

Somewhat OT from this post, but related.  I make tea infused vodka for John Daly cocktails.  Cold steep 2 family size Luzianne  tea bags in a fifth of Tito's vodka for two hours.  Fill a double rocks glass with ice, fill glass with half tea infused Tito's and half Simply Lemonade, and a lemon wheel and a stir straw.  Perfect boozy hot weather drink.

I have always done it just like this except I fill the pitcher 1/2 with ice and drink it right away. 
1) Boil water
2) Turn off water, add tea bags and steep 5-10 minutes
3) Stir in sugar (I only use about a cup). 
4) fill pitcher about 1/2 way with ice. 
5) remove tea bags (I usually squeeze them), and pour tea over ice. 
6) fill pitcher the rest with cold water, stir and drink. 

exact same.. use red diamond, except we make in the microwave, in a glass mixing bowl with about 6 cups of water and 2 bags, microwave for 7 minutes.

HeavyG

RRP said:

yo, Michael - as a Type 2 diabetic I happen to watch my sugar intake. Here's a link to consider before you tank up on sweet tea.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/11-ways-to-quit-sugar-for-good/ss-AAc3XKC

I gave up sweet tea about five years ago because of blood sugar issues myself. During the summer I was drinking more than a half gallon of tea each day and that was just way too much empty carbs/calories to justify and my body was letting me know that.

Missed it terribly the first summer without it but now...not so much.

That said - I was a Tetley tea bag man. Rather than trying to dissolve a cup or so of sugar in my tea I would always make a batch of simple syrup and then just add that to the tea mix.