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–+ servings
sweet tea

The Best Sweet Tea

5 from 1 vote
A classic Southern Sweet Tea made with brisk black tea, perfectly dissolved sugar, and a secret pinch of baking soda for the ultimate refreshing drink. Ready in under 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 95
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 family-size black tea bags Lipton or Luzianne preferred
  • 1 cup granulated sugar Adjust sweetness to taste
  • 1 gallon filtered water Divided for boiling and diluting
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda Removes bitterness
  • lemon slices For serving

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan For boiling water
  • 1 pitcher For mixing and storing
  • 1 Measuring cups To measure sugar and water
  • 1 Wooden Spoon To stir ingredients

Method
 

  1. Bring exactly four cups of filtered water to a rolling boil in a saucepan.
    boiling filtered water in a saucepan
  2. Remove from heat, add tea bags and baking soda, and steep for exactly fifteen minutes.
    steeping black tea bags in hot water
  3. Remove tea bags without squeezing, then stir in sugar until completely dissolved.
    stirring sugar into hot brewed tea
  4. Pour into a pitcher, add the remaining cold water to fill, and chill completely.
  5. Serve over glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Nutrition

Serving: 240gCalories: 95kcalCarbohydrates: 25gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 10mgSugar: 25gVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 5mg

Notes

Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Never add ice directly to the warm pitcher to avoid watering down the flavor.

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