Sweet Tea

[1tongarden]

Hey there was just wondering how everyone makes there sweet tea.Do you just use tea and sugar? My mom use to make tea alot when we were kids but she would do the "sun tea" method letting it bake in the sun then adding sugar.  then put it in the fridge .What brand tea do you like. Thanks folks just wantin to see how yall make ur's.

[Samcro]

I still make mine by Sun brewing 2 gal jug Lipton Tea bags bout 5 family size , 1 1/2 cups Sugar in the jug and sun brewed for the day . take the bags out stir it up and in the fridge .

Sam

[1tongarden]

Oh so you put the sugar in when your brewing it? or i suppose it dont make a difference. Thanks got mom pickin me up just a cheapo tea jug, mom use to use the glass ones. Thanks 

[Samcro]

Oh so you put the sugar in when your brewing it? or i suppose it dont make a difference. Thanks got mom pickin me up just a cheapo tea jug, mom use to use the glass ones. Thanks 

Yes I do put the sugar in with the tea , it will melt /devolve as the tea is made . and  I too have the Glass Jar it helps with the heat and Brewing in the sun .

Sam

[Scubasky]

It doesn't sour sitting out like that?

[1tongarden]

No, my mom use to do it all the time, and OH is that why she used a glass one? well it sounds right and thanks. I love my sweet tea gonna start drinkin more instead of so many beeers...LOL  and maybe i'll remember my next 30 years.. ;DLike the song No i dont drink much any more these days anyhow..Or as much,the quitting smoking even cut me back more.

[Samcro]

It doesn't sour sitting out like that?

Not at all it is about 12 hours / the day for brewing

Sam

[TexasLaw]

Mom always said it had to be a glass jug or it wouldn't taste right.  Recipe is the same as above, 5 bags of Lipton tea.

[mphymel]

I use 4 family sized bags and run water through the coffee maker with the tea bags in the coffee pot. Just dont leave in on the warmer, take it off after the water is finished filling the pot. I usually let it cool with the bags in, then pull them.

At Mom's my sister makes it so sweet and lemony, it is really like an Arnold Palmer. Man, that is good with some boiled crabs!

[bkwoods]

I bring a pot about 4 or 5 cups of water to a soft boil then cut burner off. Add 3 regular size Lipton tea bags and 2 green tea bags. Let sit about 15 or 20 minutes. Put 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar or Splenda (I use Splenda). Cover tea pitcher with a paper towel, this a fine mesh strainer. I hate tea leaves in my tea. Add tea water from pot and stir. Then fill pitcher to 1 gal mark. Chill and serve over a glass full of ice. 

[sirhc62]

I use a ice tea maker with red diamond tea bags.

It makes 3qts at a time and how I make mine I fill the pitcher to the 3qt water mark empty it in the maker. I put 1 cup of sugar in the pitcher and turn on the maker running just the hot water to dissolve the sugar making a simple syrup. I return the simple syrup into the maker and place a coffee filter in the basket and add family size tea bags and fill the pitcher with ice to the 3qt mark for ice and turn on. It is ice cold as soon as it turns off.

There is a knob on the front to adjust how strong you want your tea. Once its set it will make it the same every time unless you move that knob.

I would forget about making tea and get busy doing other stuff and by the time I would remember the tea bad a bitter aftertaste from the bags sitting too long I guess. This helps me out alot.

Chris

[1tongarden]

So its all the same really,I heavent measured the tea i been brinkin for the last two days but i had some super sweet ( to much i think) , anyhow i also love fresh real lemonade and throw in a few fresh raspberry's and get it ice cold oh its the best. Thanks everyone was just courious so thanks.

[rhashell]

I like brewed on the stove best 1 quart water 14 regular size tea bags. bring to a boil turn off and let seep about 5 minutes add 1 1/2 cups sugar and fill a 1 gallon glass pickle jar!!

[Stan41]

I only use Lipton loose tea.  Sometimes it is hard to find, but I think I can taste the tea bag when I make it with bags.

I have a very small coffee maker.  I make the tea just like you make coffee, pour the 3 cups of very strong tea in a pitcher and fill it on up with water.  If I drank sweet tea I would put the sugar in at this point, but I drink iced tea without sugar.

Stan

[SherryB]

Those gallon glass jars are hard to find now.  Luckily someone where my husband works was trying to quit smoking and they ate pickles while they were kicking the smoking habit.  So, he brought home a gallon pickle jar for my sun tea making.  Every now and then I throw a flavored tea bag or two in with the regular tea and call it my version of "Snapple".   I sit my jar on the barbeque grill because it's black so I figure it's absorbing some heat.   I have tea in about 5-6 hours.  I don't care for the generic brand of tea but otherwise I buy what's on sale-Lipton, Luzianne, etc.  At the end of the summer you can sometimes find buy one get one free and I buy several boxes.   Been trying to drink more tea and less soda/pop. 

[Eddie]

My wife only uses Lipton tea. She puts water in a pot with 2 regular size tea bags on top of the stove. Bring it to a boil then mix it while it is still hot with sugar (don't know exact measurements, but she uses a small blue cap and uses 1 1/2 to 2 cups). After mixing the hot tea with the sugar really good until all sugar is melted and mixed with the tea finish filling the gallon pitcher with cold water while stirring to ensure it is thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate until cold then add ice and enjoy.

[joeh20]

I'm kinda cheap. I make 4 of 5 gallons of tea a week. I have an Ice tea maker with the two pitchers I guess they are a 1/2 gal each. I buy the Kroger brand decaf family size tea bags 48 to a box. I use 3 bags in the blue plastic container with a quart of water in the pitcher, and quart of water in the tea maker. That makes 1/2 gallon, I pour that into a gallon pitcher and refill the tea maker with another quart of water and leave the same three bags in the blue plastic container and add another quart of water to the pitcher it sits on. While it is brewing the second 1/2 gallon i add 6 ounces of real sugar to the gallon pitcher. And then add the second half gallon of tea from the first 3 rebrewed bags. The first batch is real dark and the second batch is lighter but when mixed it just fine. When I go out to eat and order sweet tea it is super sweet to me. My tea is like decaf sweet tea flavored water. But i'm used to it and it does cool you off.  And at 50 cents a gallon it's hard to beat.

[Buckstop319]

I never liked sweet tea until I tried this recipe.  The GREAT thing is that the syrup will keep for a couple of months or so.  Just make some fresh when you are ready.  For those familiar with Bill Miller BBQ's sweet tea, people tell me mine is better.   

Put 3 cups of water and 3.5 cups of sugar in a pot over medium heat.  Stir ever-so-often until it comes to a simmer.  Turn the fire down to low and add 13 regular (cup) size Lipton tea bags.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Don't boil or stir roughly or you will end up with the bags breaking.  After 10 minutes, remove from heat and cover for an hour or so.  This will make about a quart of syrup.  Discard bags and pour syrup into a glass jar and refrigerate.  It thickens after it is refrigerated. When you are ready to make tea--mix 1/2 cup syrup with 1 quart water.  Or vary it to your liking.  The syrup will keep for a long, long time in the fridge.  I think it tastes best if used within 2 months or so but i have had it longer during the winter.  During the hot months (February-November here LOL  ) it never lasts us that long.

What a GREAT forum.  I stumbled on it earlier this week. 

[1tongarden]

Hey welcome to the forum buck and sounds like a great recipe.

[Newbie_gardener]

Gonna have to try that Buck, Thanks

[hippygirl]

I use 4 family sized bags and run water through the coffee maker with the tea bags in the coffee pot. Just dont leave in on the warmer, take it off after the water is finished filling the pot. I usually let it cool with the bags in, then pull them.

I make mine the same way. I have a Bunn coffee maker with a reservoir, so I pop 8 regular tea bags in the basket, pour a full pot's worth of water into the machine, brew, drop the bags into the pot, cover, and steep for at LEAST an hour (longer is better).

ETA...I've tried sun-brewed tea before, but it always seemed very weak...to each his/her own. 

[hippygirl]

I never liked sweet tea until I tried this recipe.  The GREAT thing is that the syrup will keep for a couple of months or so.  Just make some fresh when you are ready.  For those familiar with Bill Miller BBQ's sweet tea, people tell me mine is better.   

Put 3 cups of water and 3.5 cups of sugar in a pot over medium heat.  Stir ever-so-often until it comes to a simmer.  Turn the fire down to low and add 13 regular (cup) size Lipton tea bags.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Don't boil or stir roughly or you will end up with the bags breaking.  After 10 minutes, remove from heat and cover for an hour or so.  This will make about a quart of syrup.  Discard bags and pour syrup into a glass jar and refrigerate.  It thickens after it is refrigerated. When you are ready to make tea--mix 1/2 cup syrup with 1 quart water.  Or vary it to your liking.  The syrup will keep for a long, long time in the fridge.  I think it tastes best if used within 2 months or so but i have had it longer during the winter.  During the hot months (February-November here LOL  ) it never lasts us that long.

What a GREAT forum.  I stumbled on it earlier this week. 

I've seen similar recipes for "coffee concentrate" (sans sugar) and always wanted to try it for iced coffee...never got around to it, though.

If I still drank sugar tea, I'd certainly try the syrup, though (I've used Sweet-N-Low in my tea for years).

[LakeRat1]

Thanks Buckstop!! welcome Aboard, i made a copy of your Recipe & Plan to give it a Try
Thanks again,

LakeRat1