A friend of mine always has sweet iced tea when we go visit, but I haven't asked her yet how she makes it.

Do you pour boiling water into a large container and then add sugar till it dissolves, then add the tea bags?

Do you put it all into the container together?

Does the container have to be glass or metal?

How much sugar do you add? Ever add Splenda instead of sugar?

What other ingredients do you add?

I have a great recipe from my Mom.
I use a glass jar full of water, a half gallon size, put several teabags in it, then put it outside in the sun for several hours.
When done I add a can of frozen lemonade. No other sugar is needed. It's soooooo refreshing!!

I use my 12-cup drip coffee maker and put a family size tea bag where the coffee goes. While it's brewing I dump 3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar into a 2 quart pitcher. Pour the hot tea on the sugar to melt and add water or ice to completely fill the pitcher.

I'm trying to wean my kids off sweet tea, so I've been using less and less sugar. They haven't noticed. Tea is great with fresh lemon slices and mint. I prefer it unsweetened.

If you use glass and hot water poured over the tea bags, make sure you put a spoon in the glass pitcher. If not it will break. Something about the spoon. I usually put two large bags in my coffee filter basket, 1/8 cup sugar and then fill the container with water. Then I let it do it's thing. I then take a large pitcher filled with ice and pour the hot tea over the ice. I have gone through three iced tea makers in three years. I only like a little sweetness in our tea. Use more if you want. But the hot water brews and dissolves the sugar.

We put large tea bags (2 large tea bags) in our coffee pot (which is a Bunn) and pour the water into it. We place Splenda (I am a diabetic) into our pitcher which will hold the final sweet tea. My husband makes the tea by the way. We let the tea cool, pour that into the pitcher where the Splenda is, and place same amount of water into the same pitcher.

It works for us, but maybe not for everyone.

I cheat, I use the generic tea mix at Target. I like the raspberry, it comes in measured containers, makes a half gallon at a time. It is artificially sweetened so no calories at all. I pretty much drink it all the time. I'm a tea person, either hot or cold.

has anyone ever made it with stevia?

We use a plastic pitcher. Put water in the tea-kettle and wait for it to start boiling pour the water into the plastic pitcher. For small tea bags tie them all together than cut the paper off the top.
For a big teabag just put it in. Let it sit for a while. When it's ready, put 1 cup of sugar in. Put ice in your cup, pour it in and its deilicious! :D

The plastic pitcher we use is 2 quarts.

I do because I am trying to keep my kids from having too much sugar in their diet and Stevia is all natural. I don't like that even Splenda requires a chemical process to make. I also know that stevia comes in different flavors, so I can add some flavored stevia and get great tasting tea.

(I also just started an HCG diet, so I cannot have any sweetners except stevia in my tea, so I am glad I have a few bottles of stevia on hand in the fridge.)

Some great things to try here. Talking about stevia reminds me that I got some agave necter a while ago. I wonder if that will work just as well.

I do it the same way. Only I use a gallon pitcher.

stevia spikes my sugar - so diabetics might want to test a few times to make sure it's ok..

We cheat and buy Lipton Cold Brew tea bags. Put 2 in a 1 gallon pitcher, add cold water to top. Steep 5 minutes, drink.
We don't use sugar to sweeten, just sweetnlow. 4 packets sweetens the pitcher.

My mom puts tea bags in a small pot on the stove. Covers them in water and lets them simmer a few minutes. Do not boil, will make the tea bitter. She pours the hot tea into the pitcher, adds 1/2 to 3/4 c sugar, stirs to dissolve the sugar, then adds cold water to top.

I take cold water and put it in a 2 quart saucepan. I tie 6 regular size tea bags together. Put them in the saucepan and turn the heat on med high, leaning toward high.
As soon as it gets to a full boil, turn it off. I place my sugar in my pitcher (about 1 cup, I like it sweet) and pour off the tea from the pan. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
To keep the tea of getting sudsy when adding the cold water to finish filling the pitcher, I put the cold water in the pan and pour into the pitcher from that. I think it has to do with the aerator on my faucet.

Carol B

Sweet Tea in the south is a natural thing. Boiling tea makes it dark and bitter. My recipe: Put water into tea kettle or pot, bring water to boil add 4 family size tea bags. Remove from heat let steep while cooling. 1/2 gallon pitcher add 1 cup sugar and disolve,(I use hot water) Pour brewed tea, stir and finish filling with water. Place ice in glass and pour tea and enjoy.
Splenda, sweet and low, and etc, I don't like the taste they have. Plus who knows what they contain.

For the best sweet iced tea! This makes a gallon.Bring a pint of water to almost the boiling point( bubbles are rising, water is starting to churn) TURN OFF THE HEAT! Do not let it boil. Drop in eight/ten tea bags(reg. size) or 3 family sized, cover and steep about 10 to 15 min.To your gallon pitcher(plastic or glass) add your brewed tea; then:
really sweet -1 1/2 c. sugar.
sweet-1c.
just so sweet- 1/2c.
(I make 2 gal. at a time, DH is diabetic, his is unsweetened We have just been turned on to Agave Nectar also, he just sweetens at the table, ours 2/3 c. sugar but I'm just starting to blend w/agave, the kids haven't noticed yet!)
Run water into your tea pot w/ the bags , dumping into tea pitcher until tea bags run clear or tea pitcher is full. Wahla! the Best sweet southern tea you ever had. A lot of folks use lemon, I do sometime, but we have found another great zing, put a squeeze of fresh orange,it's to die for! Enjoy!

:oops: what happens when trying to post during rain storm.

Wow, thanks everyone for all of your ideas on making ice tea

We use our Iced Tea Maker by Mr. Coffee!
But we used to make it by putting water in a glass gallon jar, about 4 family size tea bags (maybe more). Set it out in the sun for several hours.
When you bring it in while it is still very warm add sugar to taste. Sugar added to cold water will not dissolve.
DH likes it sweeter than I do so I make some separate for me.
I can't use Splenda as it makes me break out. So use the real thing.

Pour over ice and enjoy. Store rest in refrigerator.

Well my family makes tea bit different..we ave an iced tea maker....Non of us drink coffee..

But we put in:
3 Apple cinnamon Tea bags
2 green tea bags
2 mandarin orange tea bags
and about 7 regular tea bags

Let it brew and then add our splenda to it! Yummy!
My kids love this!

Sometimes in summer I will substitute teh apple cinnamon tea bagswith fruit ones..and they like that as well but the apple cinnamon seems to be our favorite.

I just add the green tea because I think it has so many good things ..we can all use it!

We buy the lipton Cold brew... I use two bags to the 1 gallon pitcher. Let it brew and then I add a cup and half of sugar for the sweet tea flavor. If you want it sweeter, you can add a little more sugar.

I put two cups of filtered water in a pan..bring to a boil and add 5 Tetley British Blend tea bags in and seep until the water is cool. Do not boil the bags..changes the taste of the tea. I then make a sugar syrup of 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water..bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is disolved..about 5 minutes. Add a little of the syrup to the tea..tasting to make sure it is sweet as you like. Store the remaining syrup in fridge. You can use this syrup for lemonade also.

I use my coffee maker, I use 12 cups water, 5 family size tea bags, when done let it steep with tea bags in the water. Put 2 cups of sugar in your tea and stir. Fill 1 gallon pitcher with ice cubes and pour tea over ice and put in fridge. Great sweet, strong ice tea.

I use a coffee maker. I have one for coffee and a separate one for tea. Put 4 regular tea bags in, let it brew and then sit for 10-15 minutes. I use 1 cup of sugar in a gallon pitcher, pour hot tea over the sugar to melt, stir, then finish filling with cold water and stir the contents. Makes a nice strong tea. Amount of sugar would depend on how sweet you like your tea. For me 1 cup is perfect. This was how my momma made tea, only she boiled her water and then steeped it. I like to use a coffee pot. Hope this helps.

The trick I learned when down south, was to heat water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool. The same time, boil water and pour it over the teabags. When both are cool, combine them. I find Red Rose tea doesn't create a bitter taste.

Wouldn't you just add sugar? I bet you can tell that I am not a tea drinker, huh? lol

THIS SHOULD READ ONE GALLON PITCHER not 1/2 gallon.
Fingers and mind don't always work together

I can't drink sun tea. Sitting in the sun that long turns the tea and turned tea is not good for you. I've been drinking sweet tea all my life. My grandmother and mother made it from loose tea leaves. I make it with tea bags, black tea is our favorite ice tea. I make a gallon of black ice tea every other day and sometimes once a day. We don't drink soda so it it's tea, lemonade or water for cold drinks.

The secret is right water temp, just before boiling but never boiling water. Add 12 regular size tea bags or 4 family size tea bags, to about a quart of hot water, cover and let seep for at least an hour. Remove tea bags and add sugar syrup. ( 1 1/3 cup sugar dissolved in two cups hot water) Add cold tap water to sweet tea mix to make one gallon. Keep in fridge.

I have an instant hot water tap on my sink and the water is the perfect temp for tea or instant coffee. I never knew instant coffee could taste good until I found the perfect water temp. If instant coffee foams it's not the right temp at all and the coffee will taste like instant coffee.

I use loose Lipton tea, 1/3 cup in a quart jar fill with hot water let it steep with a lid on it for up to 1/2 hr.
Strain it thru your coffee filter into another jar or container.Put the sweetner of choice in and pour in the tea mixture.Fill continer with water. This mixture will make 1/2 gallon. ENJOY

Your friend must be from the South as that is the "nectar" that we always have down here. Me, I'm a non-sweet tea drinker.

BellaBoo- you just reminded me of something. I read that sun tea wasn't good for you also. Thanks! :)
Now with all these new ideas I can come up with something better!
:thumbup:

The spoon absorps the heat and keeps the glass from breaking. I always sweeten my tea in the pitcher just as it finishes making.

I use to make "sun tea"........Set the jar out in sun and
drop in the tea bags. I was told this is not healthy, Water should be boiling to make the tea.

Nanjun- how do you make it?

I boil water in my tea kettle and when it whistles, I add 4 family-size tea bags and let it steep for about 1 hr. I always use a milk jug for my tea (it holds the large quantity and it's so easy to pourfrom)... I put 1 1/4 c. of sugar in the jug and pour in the hot tea.. swish it around until sugar dissolves. Then I run water back thru the tea bags in the kettle to get every last drop of tea out of the bags and add this to the jug. Refrigerate immediately. Tea gets a spoiled taste if left out in warm weather. I never use sweeteners as they seem to leave a bitter taste in tea. (However, my mom uses 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda and it's ok...but not as good as when she used all sugar.)

That's what I do - make a "sugar syrup" - 2: 1 ration sugar to water. Heat water and sugar together till all the sugar melts and makes a kind of syrup. When it's cool, you can add as much as you want to make sweet tea that suits you. I don't have this often, but when I want 'sweet tea' I want it sugary SWEET!

I use an ice tea maker. Fill tank with water, place tea bags in filter holder and turn on. When tea is steeped I add sugar and stir.

If you go to Paula Deans web site she has a recipe for making sweet tea the way southerners do.

What does "turns the tea" mean? I've never heard of it.

hot water.....tea bags......sugar.....waalaa :-D