Tip Tuesday: Easy Homemade Sweet Tea

16 comments

Tuesday October 16, 2012 by Alexandra C.

I mentioned last week, that over the course of my trip to Orlando, I had fallen in love with southern sweet tea. Here in Canada, sweet tea isn't as big of a thing as it is in the U.S. And let me just say, you Americans are lucky people. Sweet tea is so tasty and delicious. Though it may seem like a beverage geared more towards summer, when something is this good, I completely defy that notion. You can drink it any time of the year.

Now, sweet tea has a bit of a different taste than an iced tea. Sweet tea, like the name suggests, is smooth and not as bitter of a drink. I thought that sweet tea would be complicated to make or require special ingredients, but as it turns out, it's so easy. You just add one household ingredient: baking soda!

Here's how to make your own sweet tea:

Step 1: Brew and steep tea. I used 3 orange pekoe tea bags for about 1 1/2- 2 cups boiling water (depending on how strong you like it). Let it steep for about 15 minutes and remove tea bags.

Step 2: Add 1/2 cup of sugar (more or less depending on your tastes). Then add about 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda. Stir well and refrigerate.

Serve in a tall glass with lots of ice and enjoy!

(recipe adapted via smashpeasandcarrots.blogspot.ca)

Optional: If you're feeling adventurous, add a twist to your sweet tea. Have fun and experiment with it. Try the addition of a fruit flavour like lemon or watermelon. Or, use white or green tea instead.

(images via trialx.org, lindzandy.blogspot.ca, freerecipes.org, taylortakesataste.com, blogs.babble.com)

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	on Oct 23, 2012 mssiebleu said: I have heard of sweet tea, but never had tried one, after seeing this I might give it a shot, though what's with the baking soda?? :D
	on Oct 22, 2012 mamaluv said: Yes, I like Luzianne too! I have made sweet tea with spicier flavours like Earl Grey and Chai but that's not for every palette. The bonus with Luzianne is that it's really smooth, so as long as you're using a tea that has a smooth taste profile you should be fine.
	on Oct 22, 2012 AlexJC said: @adft Using the Luzianne is a good tip! I actually did look for it but unfortunately, for us chicks up north it is a bit tougher to find.
	on Oct 21, 2012 adft 997 said: Born and raised a southern girl, sweet tea is a staple food! If your tea is bitter, you're steeping it too long OR you're using a cheap tea. Don't let your tea sit out either, it will sour. This is what I do: coffee maker (I have a coffee maker exclusively used for making tea) Luzianne brand tea bags (8 small bags or 4 family size) 1 gallon glass container 2 cups sugar place bags in maker, run cold filtered water through. add brewed tea along with 1 cup of sugar to your glass container, stir. using the same bags of tea, repeat process. Refrigerate. Adjust sweetness to your taste. I prefer Luzianne over other brands (so much so, that I have family ship it to me since it is not sold in Washington State!). There is a taste difference in teas, so experiment!
	on Oct 18, 2012 smiley_gen 2,901 said: I have never made sweet tea and have always been curious about making some! Thanks!
	on Oct 17, 2012 amyknows 2,101 said: OH my word, that sounds delicious. Definitely trying this our asap!! So excited!!
	on Oct 16, 2012 Malixy 1,536 said: Yes, I make mine with decaf all the time. It works just fine. Watch your sugar, I make a 3 gallon jug with 10 spoons of sugar, and a bit of a fruity kick, and its sweet enough. You can squeeze fresh raspberry juice into it or whatever you like, just dont leave the actual fruit pieces in there or they taste weird later. You can, however, add frsh raspberries to the drink just when you serve it, when it will be consumed immediately rather then hours later.
	on Oct 16, 2012 cutie_marlena 2,487 said: Mmmm sounds good! I wanna try this, but I don;t have baking soda :-( ...and now you've made me want tea, but it's too late to drink tea...It will keep me up all night
	on Oct 16, 2012 midnightsun2288 5,367 said: I am lucky that I live in America I guess, I can get sweet tea any time I want :) My Grandmother used to make amazing sweet tea too and her secret was baking soda.
	on Oct 16, 2012 mamaluv said: Yes, I'll try the baking soda then! The bitterness was the only downside. Maybe this way my kids will stop griping about the half-rations of sugar (from Day One I've tried to moderate their sugar intake and it's not going well).