How to Make The Best Southern Ice Tea

Southern Ice tea is truly something most southerners miss when they travel to northern states.

The northerners don't know what they are missing!!!!! Whenever we would visit my inlays, from

midwest, my husband's mother would ask me to make the ice tea. After some 30+ years in the

south with 8 children she had not learned to make it. So here we go!!!!!

Bring one quart of fresh water to a roaring boil

Add 7 to 8 small tea bags and let steep no more than 7 minutes no less than 5

Remove tea bags and add 3/4 to one cup sugar to hot tea and stir thoroughly.

once water has cooled just a little add to one gallon pitcher and add fresh cold water to about two to three inches below the full mark.

Stir thoroughly and when cool pour over ice cubes with lemon wedges on edge of glass.

When tea has cooled refrigerate. if you refrigerate before cooling it will turn cloudy. You can experiment with your sweetness if you like.

Bring one cup water to boil.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and stir till sugar is dissolved.

Put 3 large family size tea bags in 3 quarts water and let steep 1/2 hour.

Let simple sugar cool a little and pour into tea. Stir well and pour of ice with lemon wedge.

I personally love a little lemon in my tea, especially when I get it at a restaurant where it is really sweet. I have learned a trick to ask for half sweet and half unsweetened. Tastes perfect to me!

Some people also like some fresh mint in their tea. Give it a try. I like to make sweet green tea and water it down for the Gym and take it to workouts. Lots of anti-oxidants even with regular black tea.

This has always been a tradition in our home since I was a little girl growing up in Decatur Ga.

Enjoy all summer long. Make it your tradition too. You and your family will get lots of antioxidants

from it but the sugar might not be so great for your waist. I figure we all have our vices!!!!

Resources:

Thanks to Martha Hall Foose for Recipe number 2