GrammaNan

I put 2 quarts of water in a sauce pan and place two family size tea bags then bring it to a hard boil. Meanwhile I pour either 1 cup of sugar or 1 cup of splenda into a 1 gallon plastic pitcher. As soon as the tea comes to a hard boil I carefully remove the tea bags then pour the hot tea into the pitcher and add enough cold water to fill the pitcher and stir. I have always been afraid to pour hot tea in to a glass pitcher.

brushandthimble

OK I have not read all the messages but here is my "Southern" sweet tea (I grew up down south)

1/2 gal plastic container
3/4 cup sugar (I cut down from 1 full cup) plus to taste
13 tea bags in about 2 cups water in microwave glass measuring cup, heat till HOT
pour over sugar in 1/2 gal container, stir until sugar is disolved
run hot water from faucet over tea bags, stir gently (don't want to break bags), add to 1/2 gal container, and repeat.
dispose of bags
add one container of ice cubes, add cold water to about 1/2 cup below fill line(leaving room for ice cubes to melt).
I always get compliements on my iced tea.

Elizabeth-Liz

I like to put my on the stove on about 3 on my electric stove and let it simmer for about an hour. I use 4 family size tetley green tea bags to a cup of splenda and half cup of lemon juice for a gallon. This is how I like to make mine. My mom uses 4 family size bags of black tea to 1/2 gallon, she puts her's in the microwave for about 10 minutes. She really likes it strong and no sugar.

DYXIE

We make simple syrup,eqaul amounts sugar and water in sauce pan ,heat until sugar melts. Let cool ,make the tea to the strength you like and add syrup until has the sweetness you are looking for. We drink iced tea 12 months a year.

Old man- New quilter

When I was growing up, my dad or mom would use loose tea to make our sweet tea. Boil some water and put in a heaping tablespoonful and then turn the fire off after a minute and let it sit awhile (steep?) Then later pour it thru a strainer into a large pitcher and add sugar and stir then fill with water. I grew up calling it a "tea strainer" and still do. And whoever took the last glass of tea had to make another pitcher. We had iced tea at all times as far back as I can remember. I never even heard of anyone drinking hot tea until I was around 20.

kwiltkrazy

My Grandma always made a syrup, that you could add to your ice tea, and you could add as much as you wanted. I always liked her ice tea the best, because I don't like things as sweet as most people do. She lived in Fresno, so we went through a lot of ice tea when we visited. She made up a gallon of syrup at a time, I can't remember the proportions any more, but I thought it was great.

shopella

I like to add my sugar to the pot wile it is hot so sugar disolves completely and if the tea is steping wile the sugar is stired in it seems to add lots of flavor. I use a stock pot so I don't run out at the end of the day! Tea and pie anny one?

Judie

I love sweet tea... it's really the only way tea is good!

I use filtered water to keep my tea from being cloudy.. put it in my biggest pan.. Put the pan on the stove and begin heating the water.. when it is pretty hot I add in the sugar.. a cup at least.. Stir it up so that the sugar is desolved, and then put 4 family size tea bags into the water.. tuck the tags under a rubber band that's wound around the handle of my pan..

Bring it almost to a boil.. Then I put the lid on, set it over to the other part of the stove and let it steep and cool down.. once cool I pour it into a 1 gallon jug, finish filling up the jar with more filtered water, put the lid on tightly, put it in the fridge..

It will last us a three or four days and stays nice and clear... The filtered water is what keeps it clear, we have too many minerals in the water here.

ProudGranny5

I put water in a pan & bring to a boil & shut it off, then I tie 8 tea bags together & remove the tags. I use a wooden spoon to make sure all the bags are saturated. While it is steeping, I put ice cubes in a gallon pitcher & just a tad (1/4 cup of sugar) IF I even use sugar over the ice.
I add the hot tea over the ice. Stirring while I pour & don't get foam. Of course, I squeeze all the tea out of bags too. I keep adding filtered water till I get a gallon.

NOTE: For all of you that drink sweet tea from McDonald's...they use a gallon of sugar per gallon of tea!!! WAY TOO MUCH! Ask me how I know...know someone who works there.

Alu_Rathbone

We have iced tea most of the time... Right now, I'm milking the other pitcher drinks we have, like lemonade and limeade (made from lemons and limes). We are are about out of tea bags...

I drink hot tea all the time but once summer hits.... it's iced tea till November.