Sweet Tea Recipe

Tea

1. 1

   Boil water

   Pour 8 cups of fresh cold water into a medium saucepan or kettle and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

2. 2

   Brew tea

   Once boiling, remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Cover the pot and steep for 5 minutes for a balanced strength, 6–7 minutes for stronger tea. Avoid steeping more than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

3. 3

   Sweeten

   Remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract the liquid (do not squeeze hard to avoid bitterness). While the brewed tea is still hot, stir in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until completely dissolved. Taste and add up to 1–2 tablespoons more if you prefer sweeter tea.

4. 4

   Cool and dilute

   Pour the sweetened tea into a heatproof pitcher. Add 2 cups of cold water to bring the temperature down and adjust strength. Stir to combine. Let the tea cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.

5. 5

   Chill

   Refrigerate the pitcher until cold, about 1–2 hours. If you need it quickly, fill glasses with ice and pour tea over the ice immediately; note that ice will dilute the tea as it melts.

6. 6

   Serve

   To serve, fill tall glasses with ice (about 1 cup or more per glass) and pour the chilled sweet tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig, if using. Stir before drinking.