Sweet Tea

Make authentic southern-style sweet tea, as you’ll love the refreshing taste of black tea brewed with sugar.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet tea, sweet tea recipe

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 96kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $2

Equipment

1 glass pitcher

Ingredients

6 regular sized black tea bags can also use green tea
2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
6 cups chilled water
⅛ teaspoon baking soda optional, see note

Instructions

Boil Your Water: Boil 2 cups of water in a small pot on the stove. Remove from heat.
Steep Your Tea: Add your tea bags to the pot and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes (do closer to 10 for a stronger tea flavor). Remove tea bags and let them drip for a minute before throwing away.
Mix in Sugar: Add your granulated sugar and stir gently until dissolved.
Add Water and Chill! Add the rest of your water, stir to combine, and store in the fridge in a covered pitcher at least 4 hours to properly chill before serving over ice.

Notes

Makes 8 cups

Should I add baking soda to my Sweet Tea?

If you aren’t familiar with this trick, it may sound a little strange, but some sweet tea makers swear by adding a tiny amount of baking soda to their tea (about 1/8 teaspoon) while the tea is steeping. The baking soda helps to smooth out the tannins in the tea for a slightly smoother taste, but it’s optional so you can try it both ways and see which you prefer!

Tips for making Sweet Tea:

Don't tightly squeeze the tea bags when you pull them out of the hot water as that can add tea leaves and a bit of bitterness to your sweet tea.

If you only have smaller pitchers on hand, divide the tea concentrate evenly between two pitchers and divide the remaining water in two as well so you have even ratios in both containers.

Nutrition