This sweet tea recipe is a must with authentic bbq!

photo by: house of sims

A sweet tea recipe (a.k.a. southern sweet tea), and unsweetened iced tea are ubiquitous beverages for an authentic bbq meal. It would seem relatively simple to make a glass of tea, but with the influx of automatic brewing machines, and yes, tea from a soda machine, the quality is being lost.

Thankfully it is easy to make, and cheap! It's all about letting the iced tea steep, making sure the water is not too hot, mixing in the sugar while the tea is hot, and cooling it down before you add ice, so the tea strength remains strong enough. Here we go:

Recipe:

3 oz. iced tea packets, such as Lipton

1 qt. sugar

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.

Turn off heat and let water cool to approximately 180 degrees.

Add tea bags, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove bags from water using a slotted spoon or strainer and let bags drain.

Add 1 quart of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add cold water or ice cubes (they will melt and dilute as well as cool down at the same time) to make 1.25 gallons.

This magical southern "crack" will hold for 1 day, after that it will become stale and bitter.

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