How do you make your sweet tea??

[Dandelion]

I use 6 family sized tea bags in a huge glass jar. I stick it in the sun for at least 4-5 hours. When I take the teabags out, I squeeze them to get all the liquid out. Then, while the tea is still warm (from sitting in the sun) I add about a cup of sugar and stir it up.

DH, would rather I added more sugar, but we are trying to cut back.

[Ellysmom06]

I buy the lipton gallon iced tea bags. And make to the directions on the box. I think its something like pour a pint of boiling water over 1 tea back, steep for 3-5 min (I like it on the darker side, DH and dd like it light :/) then I add 1c sugar (just can't bring myself to put 2 cups in it ha) then add 3 pints cold water

[keowilliams]

I'm not sure if ours would be strictly considered sweet tea. Tea-drinking in our house was definitely instilled in us by my southern grandma, but I don't know that ours is as sweet. Basically, one large Lipton tea bag and a 1/2 cup of sugar for one pitcher - about a gallon, maybe less. We don't like ours too sweet. Actually, I make my own iced tea separately now without any sugar since I'm diabetic. We use an Iced Tea Maker. If you're going to be making tea regularly an iced tea maker is definitely worth the investment. We brewed ours on the stove top or in the coffee maker for years and years. I thought getting an iced tea maker would be silly but it is so much simpler, and great when you're going through 2 or 3 pitchers a day at times.

[carlaross]

I've always lived in the south, grew up on sweet tea Lucky me!

We mostly make ours in the coffee pot now - it's easier and less stuff to wash.
Full pot of water and 2 large family size tea bags.
Then in a gallon container, we do 1.5 cups of sugar, pour in the tea, mix until sugar has dissolved, fill with cold water, stir, and refrigerate.

[mommyluvs222]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing! I'm going to try making some soon.

[mommyinthesun]

Our stove-top method is to boil the sugar in the water for 10minutes, turn the heat off and add 6 tea bags per gallon. Then we add equal parts ice and make sure to stir well. The sugar being completely melted is the key

We did buy an ice tea maker though and now its the method we use most. I use the same tea bag and ice ratio. I just put sugar in the bottom of the pitcher and stir continuously as the tea flows down into it. Once the machine is done running and im sure the sugar is melted , I throw in the ice.

HTH!

[bamababies]

Originally Posted by Lillikin We heat 2 family size tea bags in 4 cups water for 6 min in microwave in a glass measuring cup. Add 1 1/3 cup sugar to large pitcher, pour tea in, stir until sugar dissolves, and add cold (tap) water.

I do similar to this except I use 4 family size tea bags and let it steep for 5 minutes (after the microwave goes off) before mixing it up. I usually set my oven timer for 11 minutes when I start the mickey (set mickey for 6 minutes) and when it goes off then I know the tea is ready. Also I only make decaf tea, because we are usually drinking it and I am BFing DD2...so I try to avoid caffine.

[VioletsMommy]

I heat 4 family size tea bags (wal-mart brand are best to me) in 4 cups water for 6 min in microwave in a glass measuring cup. Add 2 cups sugar to gallon pitcher, pour tea in, stir until sugar dissolves, fill the measuring cup again with water (tea bags still in it) then dump that in the pitcher. I then squeeze out the bags then add cold water until I get to a gallon in the pitcher.

[Mamma527]

I use my electric hot water heater (from college) to boil 1/2 qt water. Then I put 4 tbsp sugar ( I've slowly weaned off of my moms who use 2 cups!!) and 2 family size tea bags.

Then I pour the hot water over the bags and stir to dissolve the sugar. I let it sit for about 5 minutes or longer. Then I fill up the 2 qt pitcher with water and stir.