It’s National Ice Tea Month and I love iced tea. Typically if I’m going through the drive thru at CFA or MCDs I get a sweet tea half cut, meaning the tea is way to sweet to order it full strength so I order a blend of sweet and unsweetened. Can you relate?
I make iced tea on occasion with a tea maker using simple syrup I’ve made. Normally it’s just family size tea bags with no other flavors. Sometimes, making flavored tea is on the agenda, like strawberry or mango flavors are delicious.
Below are a some thirst quenching sweet tea recipes you’ll have to try.
How To Make Southern Sweet Tea
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| How To Make Southern Sweet Tea |
INGREDIENTS
- 3 family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags), such as Lipton or Luzianne
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Ice
- Fresh mint leaves or lemon slices (optional)
EQUIPMENT
- Small saucepan
- Long-handled spoon
- 1-gallon pitcher, or multiple smaller pitchers
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil the water. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Dunk the tea bags a few times in the water to fully hydrate, then leave submerged with the strings hanging over the side of the pot. After 5 minutes, remove the bags and discard.
Add the sugar to the tea. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour the tea base into the pitcher. If using multiple pitchers, divide the tea evenly between them.
Top off the pitchers with water. Add 3 more quarts of water to the tea base to make a gallon of sweet tea and stir to combine.
Refrigerate until very cold. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight.
Serve over ice. Pour the sweet tea into ice-filled glasses. Add a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon to each, if desired!
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| Pineapple Iced Tea |
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 7 tea bags
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- Optional: Pineapple wedges, lemon slices and fresh mint leaves
Directions
- 1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags; steep, covered, 3-5 minutes according to taste. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Transfer to a pitcher; cool slightly. Stir in fruit juices.
- 2. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Serve over ice. Garnish as desired.
- Cherry Limeade Sweet Tea
Cherry Limeade Sweet Tea Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 6 tea bags
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
- 1 cup chilled cherry juice blend
- Ice cubes
- Lime wedges and pitted dark sweet cherries
Directions
- 1. In a Dutch oven, bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags; steep, covered, 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved; cool slightly. Transfer to a pitcher; cool completely.
- 2. Add limeade concentrate and cherry juice to tea. Serve over ice with lime wedges and cherries.
Raspberry Iced Tea Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1-3/4 cups sugar
- 8 tea bags
- 3/4 cup frozen apple-raspberry juice concentrate
- 8 cups cold water
- Ice cubes
- Fresh raspberries, optional
Directions
- 1. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water and sugar to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags; steep, covered, 3-5 minutes according to taste. Discard tea bags. Add juice concentrate; stir in cold water. Serve over ice, with raspberries if desired.
Blueberry Iced Tea
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| Blueberry Iced Tea |
Blueberry Iced Tea
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Glass pitcher
Ingredients
- 6 Black tea bags
- 8 cups Filtered water, divided
- 3/4 cup Blueberry syrup see link below for recipe
- Lemon slices, mint for garnish
Instructions
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep 10 minutes.
- Discard tea bags. Pour the tea into a pitcher. Add the blueberry syrup, stirring until totally incorporated. Add the remaining 3 cups of water.
- Chill for a minimum of one hour. Serve with lemon slices and mint leaves.
