WFMW: Texas Sweet Tea
Okay, so I am playing a little fast-and-loose with the title TEXAS sweet tea. I know there are plenty of Texans out there who might beg to differ with me that this is how Texans make sweet tea. So let me just say that this is how we in the SortaCrunchy household (firmly planted in Texas) make us some sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet tea.
(We also don't have a recipe handed down to us from a great-great-grandmother who made the original sweet tea. Our concoction is a melding together of many recipes we have come across; we have tinkered and made it our own!)
Recipe for one gallon of sweet tea:
1 gallon of water (divided; tap will do fine)
3 or 4 cups of sugar (how much do you love your dentist?)
12 Luzianne iced tea bags
In a large pot, bring 2 quarts (half a gallon) of water and all of your sugar to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, remove pot from heat and add the tea bags. Cover and let sit. (I'd say at least half an hour, but we let ours sit up to two hours sometimes.) After tea has steeped, remove tea bags and pour tea into a gallon sized container. Fill with two more quarts of water (to make a gallon - the magic of math and measurements!). Chill and serve over ice. I like a lemon wedge or two in mine to cut the sweetness, but The Coach prefers his straight up.
A gallon makes a LOT of tea, so unless you are having company over for a grill-out, you may want to make just half a gallon. Tea (sweet and otherwise) tastes funny to me after it's been in the fridge for three or more days.
Enjoy!
For more Works For Me Wednesday tips, pour a glass of tea and drop by Rocks in My Dryer!
Over here in Georgia we put 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a gallon of tea. But, I'm thinking next time I'm in Texas I'm finding some of your sweet tea! Cause that's some sweet stuff!I'm ashamed to admit it, but I stopped drinking sweet tea about 5 years ago (please don't report me to the authorities!). I now drink it decaffinated and unsweetened with 1 Sweet and Low. But, I hope they don't revoke my "southern" status!Blessings,Georgia Mom
Posted by: Georgia Mom | July 19, 2007 at 07:26 AM
I make my tea almost the same way. I put 1 cup of sugar per gallon, and I don't boil the sugar with the water. I just put the sugar in the bottom of the pitcher and when I pour the warm and freshly steeped tea over it, it dissolves it. And I use like 3 Family Size tea bags... and yes it's decaf. Then I just add water from the tap to fill up the pitcher. It's not really very scientific or measured on my end.
Posted by: Whitney | July 19, 2007 at 09:36 AM