Sweet tea

Ingredients

Tea

• 6to 8 black tea bags, orange pekoe, or 3 family-size bags
• 1 litrewater, for brewing

Sugar

• 250to 350 g granulated sugar, depending on how Southern you are

Also

• 1 litrecold water, to dilute
• a pinch of bicarbonate of soda

To serve

• plenty of ice
• lemon wedges
• fresh mint, optional

Equipment

• a 2 litre pitcher

Directions

1. Bring the litre of water to a boil, then take it off the heat. Let it stand for a minute before the tea goes in. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Steep for no more than about 5 minutes and never leave the bags in. Lift the bags out and do not squeeze them.
2. Add a small pinch, no more than an eighth of a teaspoon, to the hot tea. It neutralises some of the tannic acid, which softens the bitterness and helps keep the tea clear rather than cloudy.
3. Use very little, because too much tastes soapy. Now add the sugar while the tea is still hot and stir until it has completely dissolved. Keep stirring until there is no grittiness at all on the bottom of the pan. Now the quantity, which is worth being honest about.
4. Start at the lower end if you are unsure, since you can always sweeten the next batch. Now pour the hot sweetened tea into a pitcher and add the cold water.
5. Let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Do not put hot tea straight into the fridge, both because it clouds and because it warms everything around it.
6. Chill it thoroughly, for at least a couple of hours. Pack the glass genuinely full of ice. Sweet tea is meant to be extremely cold and a few cubes simply melt and dilute it.
7. Add a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint if you like. It keeps two or three days refrigerated and is best within a day.

Technique

• Tyree’s 1879 recipe uses green tea, and the switch to black came in the 1940s.
• The pinch of bicarbonate is a real Southern trick for clarity and bitterness.
• It is drunk year round rather than only in summer.

Substitutions

• Any black tea, and Luzianne and Lipton are the Southern standards.
• A simple syrup stirred into cold tea, if you must.

Variations

• With mint, as a garnish.
• Arnold Palmer, half sweet tea and half lemonade.
• Made with peach or raspberry syrup.

History

Iced tea spread once ice became cheap; a sweet tea recipe appears in Marion Cabell Tyree’s 1879 Housekeeping in Old Virginia.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sweet tea?

Sweet tea is a drink from United States: heavily sugared iced black tea, the Southern table staple. Iced tea spread once ice became cheap; a sweet tea recipe appears in Marion Cabell Tyree’s 1879 Housekeeping in Old Virginia.

How long does Sweet tea take to make?

Sweet tea takes 10 min plus chilling of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sweet tea?

Yes, within limits. Any black tea, and Luzianne and Lipton are the Southern standards. A simple syrup stirred into cold tea, if you must.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sweet tea?

Bring the litre of water to a boil, then take it off the heat. Let it stand for a minute before the tea goes in. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Steep for no more than about 5 minutes and never leave the bags in. Lift the bags out and do not squeeze them.