Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Like most southerners sweet iced tea has a special place in my heart. If you drop by my home I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find a cold pitcher of sweet iced tea on the top shelf of the fridge. No other beverage quenches the thirst AND comforts the soul like a cold glass of sweet tea. Nope. None.
For the sake of health I’ve been replacing half of the sugar with raw honey. It’s not as addicting, but I’m starting to get use to it.
This southern sweet iced tea recipe is sweet, refreshing, satisfying and makes you say “ahhhhhhh” when you’re done drinking it. It’s so easy to knock back several glasses full on a hot day without even realizing it.
Watch me make this southern sweet Iced Tea from start to finish!!
Get the Recipe: Southern Sweet Iced Tea
- 3 family-sized tea bags ( I used Luzianne)
- 10 cups water, divided (can add more to adjust sweetness)
- Pinch of baking soda
- 1 1/2 -2 cups sugar (can use less if desired)
- In a large bowl, heat 2 cups of water in the microwave until boiling (about 10-12 minutes)
- Add a pinch of baking soda.
- Drop in the tea bags.
- Let tea steep for 5-7 minutes.
- Carefully remove tea bags and discard. Do not press on tea bags.
- Add sugar and stir until sugar completely dissolved.
- Pour into a serving pitcher.
- Add in 8 cups of cold water.
- Refrigerate until ice cold.
- Fill a glass with ice and fill with tea.
- Enjoy!
~TIP~
Feel free to cut back on the sugar if you want/need to.
Serve ICE COLD!!
I prefer sweet tea ungarnished, but you can add lemon slice, mint leaves or raspberries i desired.
I grew up in eastern NC so I am a sweet tea lover for sure!!!!!! Even in winter we had to have a glass of tea with supper!!!
I made the recipe and went with the 2 C sugar and it was a tad too sweet which was fixed by diluting with extra water and ice. I love southern cooking so your recipes are right up my alley. Happy holidays to you and your family.
This recipe was great! (The first one that I’ve bothered to write a review for). I added 1 1/2 cups of sugar first, and that was enough for me. I added a little bit of extra water to balance out the sugar, and it turned out DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe!
This tea is wonderful, I make it for my family, I just brew it and put the sugar in it and let them put the water in when they get home, I make four gl at a time.
What does the baking soda do? I tried this tea tonight for dinner and it was delicious with my southern green beans and potatoes, and baked chicken legs. Thanks so much!
What flavor tea do you use??
Put the tea bags into the compost for your garden – it mulches up nicely.
Made this for Christmas and my family love it!
I love your site,girl! Found it while searching for BBQ Beef Ribs recipe.Now it’s my regular go to site for amazing good food for my gorgeous Georgian hubby!
Finally, after tons of recipes my tea tastes great and doesn’t look like mud!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Made this today, and SIIMPLY DELICIOUS! I have to agree does taste better than McDonald’s. McDonalds is always hit or miss, actually stopped buying it. Monique girl keep them coming.
Yes hunny, Monique this recipe is the Truth,,,my son just told me it taste better than McDonalds…LOL
I used this exact recipe with a couple drops of lemon! WOW! That was just amazing!!
monique,can you substitute using sugar for stevia?
Why Baking Soda????
The baking soda take that little taste bitterness in the tea
I made this and it was great. The best tea I ever made thanks for sharing.
The baking soda really makes a difference! And this is a much faster way to do it verses just making a pitcher and letting the whole thing just cool down by itself. I stuck it in the freezer and it was ready in about an hour. Thanks for sharing!
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I don’t get it!
Why would you boil water for 10-12 minutyes in a microwave when you can simply boil the water in a lettle or pan?
Anyhoo, I like your site~
i just made this tea it was awesome thank you so much for this recipe
This tea is the bomb! Good n sweet just like my momma.
Thanks.
I always make iced tea in the summer, but hated that it ended up looking “murky”. I never knew about adding “baking soda”. Thanks for the tip:)!!!!
I am currently in military stationed in Germany and I can’t find the family size Tea Bags. How many regular Tea bags should I use?
When I make 12 cups of tea, I use about 9 tea bags if that helps. Some people say one teabag per cup, but I think that’s a little too much.
Thank you for your service Vache.. I would say three regular bags to one family bag.
Thanks GG
I use 9 regular tea bags.
Ok I will try that next time. Thanks so much
What’s the baking soda for?
Never mind, I just found the answer on your other sweet tea recipe…
“Don’t worry you won’t be able to taste this in your tea. It just keeps the tea nice, smooth and clear and keeps it from having that weird after-taste that tea can sometimes have.”
It looks refreshing. It’s just for summer!
I had stopped making sweet tea because it always taste like the tea leaves. Now I know why. Lol. Thanks for this wonderful lesson in tea making.
Just made this, waiting for it to get extra cold. But so far it tastes good.
Sweet tea always tastes better in Mason jars. 🙂
I have a question. I make iced tea all the time, but twice in the past two days I’ve heard not to squeeze the tea bags. Is it that it makes the tea too strong or clouds it or something?
Nothing like Southern Sweet Tea on a summer day! Shoot, winter too, lol! I was wondering if you knew of a place were I could purchase those jars at? I love the southern look of them.
saw your question.. i bought some mason jars at k-mart 12 jars for 9.99
Walmart, just search for mason or jelly jars
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=mason+jars&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=4044