Making sweet tea is a simple and refreshing process. Here’s a basic recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 black tea bags
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup of granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
  • Lemon slices (optional)
  • Ice cubes

Instructions:

  1. Boil Water: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot or kettle.
  2. Steep Tea: Once the water is boiling, remove it from heat and add the tea bags. Let the tea steep for about 5-7 minutes. This will give you a strong tea concentrate.
  3. Add Sugar: After steeping, remove the tea bags and add sugar to the hot tea. Start with 1/2 cup of sugar, and adjust to your preferred sweetness level. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  4. Chill: Pour the sweet tea concentrate into a pitcher. Add about 4 cups of cold water to dilute the tea concentrate and bring it to your desired strength.
  5. Add Lemon (Optional): If you like, you can add lemon slices to the sweet tea for a refreshing citrus twist. You can add them directly to the pitcher or place them in individual glasses when serving.
  6. Refrigerate: Place the pitcher of sweet tea in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours. The flavors will meld together during this time.
  7. Serve: Once the sweet tea is properly chilled, you can serve it over ice cubes in glasses. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
  8. Enjoy: Sip and enjoy your homemade sweet tea!

Feel free to customize this recipe according to your taste preferences. You can experiment with the tea-to-water ratio, the sweetness level, and even add other flavorings like mint leaves or fruit slices to create your own unique version of sweet tea.

Image from Wikipedia