To assimilate into Southern culture, there’s two things you should know. First, when you see someone you know, you say,”How’s yo mama-nem?” Don’t enunciate, for Pete’s sake, and ask, “How is your Mother and the rest of your family?’ Oh, no. This whole sentence only has four syllables. That’s all you need. We understand it perfectly. The curious thing is that when we answer back, we say, “Mama-nem’s fi-i-i-i-i-ne.” We put three extra syllables in a word that only has one. That’s just how we are. We can’t help ourselves.
The other thing you need to know is that we drink sweet tea. We call it sweet tea. Not sweetened tea. Not tea with sugar. Not tea with sweetener. It’s sweet tea. Plain and simple. It’s the table wine of the South. We’ve been drinking ice tea long before we knew of the health benefits from the antioxidants. That news makes the tea taste a little bit sweeter.
There is a raging debate concerning the brand of tea that makes the best sweet tea. Just as fierce as the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn football is the fan rivalry between Luzianne and Lipton. I throw my support squarely in the Luzianne camp. This post isn’t sponsored by Luzianne and I’m not paid to promote their product. Luzianne doesn’t know me from Adam’s house cat. The product is so good I believe I need to tell you about it.
Making good sweet tea is easy. There’s a few tips that makes it turn out the best.
- Start with cold water for brewing the tea bag.
- Brands matter. Luzianne is the best and it’s the only brand I use for ice tea.
- Steep tea bags for no more than 5 minutes. Three is sufficient. A longer steep time will make the tea bitter.
- Place sugar in the pitcher and pour hot brewed liquid tea over it (hold on to the tea bags and don’t discard them yet). This will completely dissolve the sugar negating the need to use ridiculous amounts of sugar. We don’t want a syrupy sweet concoction.
- After the brewed tea is poured over the sugar, fill the saucepan with cold tap water and douse the tea bags in it. There’s lots of goody left in those teabags and you need every drop of it. Pour water into tea pitcher and keep repeating until the pitcher is full.
- Serve ice cold. Use lots of ice.
- Garnish with lemon and fresh mint if desired.
- You must drink Southern Sweet Ice Tea from a canning jar for maximum flavor benefit.
Honestly, nothing beats the taste of a cold glass of fresh brewed sweet ice tea on a blistering hot summer day. I raise my glass to the elixir known as the table wine of the South.
Y’all come see us!
Southern Sweet Ice Tea
yield: 2 quarts
The ultimate front porch sippin’ material. Follow my tips to brew the perfect pitcher full.
cold tap water
2 family size Luzianne tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
lemon and fresh mint for garnish
Fill a small saucepan 3/4’s full with cold tap water. Bring to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add teas bags. Cover and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place sugar in a 2 quart pitcher. After the tea has steeped, pour the hot liquid over the sugar. Stir.
Refill the saucepan with cold tap water and plunge the tea bags into the water several times. Pour the liquid into the pitcher. Repeat until the pitcher is filled. Stir.
Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint, if desired.
Here’s important tips:
- Start with cold water for brewing the tea bag.
- Brands matter. Luzianne is the best and it’s the only brand I use for ice tea.
- Steep tea bags for no more than 5 minutes. Three is sufficient. A longer steep time will make the tea bitter.
- Place sugar in the pitcher and pour hot brewed liquid tea over it (hold on to the tea bags and don’t discard them yet). This will completely dissolve the sugar negating the need to use ridiculous amounts of sugar. We don’t want a syrupy sweet concoction.
- After the brewed tea is poured over the sugar, fill the saucepan with cold tap water and plunge the tea bags in it several times. There’s lots of goody left in those teabags and you need every drop of it. Pour water into tea pitcher and keep repeating until the pitcher is full. Stir.
- Serve ice cold. Use lots of ice.
- Garnish with lemon and fresh mint if desired.
- You must drink Southern Sweet Ice Tea from a canning jar for maximum flavor benefit.
Southern Sweet Tea
Ingredients
- Southern Sweet Ice Tea
- yield: 2 quarts
- The ultimate front porch sippin' material. Follow my tips to brew the perfect pitcher full.
- cold tap water
- 2 family size Luzianne tea bags
- 3/4 cup sugar
- lemon and fresh mint for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a small saucepan 3/4's full with cold tap water. Bring to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add teas bags. Cover and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Place sugar in a 2 quart pitcher. After the tea has steeped, pour the hot liquid over the sugar. Stir.
- Refill the saucepan with cold tap water and plunge the tea bags into the water several times. Pour the liquid into the pitcher. Repeat until the pitcher is filled. Stir.
- Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint, if desired.
- Here's important tips:
- Start with cold water for brewing the tea bag.
- Brands matter. Luzianne is the best and it's the only brand I use for ice tea.
- Steep tea bags for no more than 5 minutes. Three is sufficient. A longer steep time will make the tea bitter.
- Place sugar in the pitcher and pour hot brewed liquid tea over it (hold on to the tea bags and don't discard them yet). This will completely dissolve the sugar negating the need to use ridiculous amounts of sugar. We don't want a syrupy sweet concoction.
- After the brewed tea is poured over the sugar, fill the saucepan with cold tap water and plunge the tea bags in it several times. There's lots of goody left in those teabags and you need every drop of it. Pour water into tea pitcher and keep repeating until the pitcher is full. Stir.
- Serve ice cold. Use lots of ice.
- Garnish with lemon and fresh mint if desired.
- You must drink Southern Sweet Ice Tea from a canning jar for maximum flavor benefit.
Rossana Lutteroth says
if I don”t have family size bags< how many of the regular ones should I use?
It sound yummy! I would love to make it!
Jackie Garvin says
Rossana,
I think 3 regular size teabags are the equivalent of one family size. Enjoy your tea! <3
Sharon says
I love your recipes. I’m from Northern Calif but I wish I lived in the south, maybe someday. I’m making sweet tea while I type this comment. I hope to travel to the south this winter. Thanks for sharing a bit of your life.
Jackie Garvin says
Sharon,
Enjoy the Southern Sweet Tea and bits and pieces of the South through my writing. I’m so happy you found us! Welcome home!
Linda Summers says
Wanted to let you know that I love your recipes, mainly because they are real southern recipes and by being born in the south although I no longer live there, enjoy using your recipes! They are some that my grandmother;s and my dear Mother used and though they are no longer here with us, I can still enjoy “Home away from home!”What I would like to know is if you might have any recipes for great Fried Chicken, Chow Chow and Fruitcake?! If so, would you please print?! Can’t wait to hear from you!!!!!
Jackie Garvin says
Linda,
I’m so sorry I overlooked your comment. Thank you for your kind words. I don’t have a recipe for fried chicken because we can get excellent fried chicken from our grocery store or the Colonel. LOL! I’ve never made chow chow and I the only fruitcake recipe I have is made with vanilla wafers. It’s really good. It’s an icebox fruitcake that you put it back in the vanilla wafer box after it’s finished. Here it is: https://syrupandbiscuits.com/a-gift-of-friendship-recipe-vanilla-wafer-icebox-fruitcake/ I hope you’ll try it.
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says
This was such a funny read! Thanks for breaking down the basics of Southern etiquette for us…. Now I know where to come when I next need to make sweet tea or speak to southerners! 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Tina,
I will happily share my recipes and translate for you anytime.
Peter Block says
I am not a Southerner but I love Southern food. I also am somewhat familiar with Southern culture through my love of country music. I know sweet tea is a staple as you point out at the beginning. This tea looks “sweet”.
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Peter! Southern food loves you right back.
sara says
I love sweet tea!! I can’t wait to try your recipe- maybe tomorrow!
Jackie Garvin says
I hope you enjoy it, Sara.
fearlessdining says
Sweet tea is definitely a classic in the south. I remember restaurants always asking if we want sweet tea or regular.
Jackie Garvin says
Fearless,
Oh, yes! Sweet tea is thing.
Amanda Mason says
OMG I LOVE your post! I’m from Nashville TN and YES – you nailed it! nailed every aspect!! LOVE!
Jackie Garvin says
Amanda,
Hello cousin Southerner! Thanks for stopping by!
Susan says
Nope! Got to be ONE FULL cup of sugar! Leave off the mint and lemon for true Southern country style. My family is 5 generations country southern from Alabama and we only serve it made with sugar and no add ons. Haha
Jackie Garvin says
My family is 7th generation rural country po’ folks. Mint grew in gardens and lemons were inexpensive and plentiful. They were used to garnish tea for special occasion. Regular, everyday day was often served with lemon
Sherry says
I was taught by my mother in law, whose family lived in Hobson, Texas since the 1850’s to make sweet tea. She said everything you did accept never let the tea come in contact with metal. Use only very clean glass or plastic containers. Metal messes with the tanic acid somehow, also if not scrubbed clean after each pitcher made the te@ will have a rancide taste. You can tell when restaurants do no clean their containers. The tea is bad.
Jackie Garvin says
Sherry,
Your MIL is very wise. I don’t use metal kitchen tools because they react with acidic foods. I hope you enjoy many more pitchers of excellent sweet ice tea.
Kathleen Kelley says
Love your articles. Am a Tennessee , Kentucky to Texas and Oklahoma granddaughter. Drove thru the south to visit where my great grandparents feet have trod. Beautiful to see and eat such delicious food. Thanks for sharing the smiles!
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you, Kathleen. I’m so happy you were able to enjoy our beautiful South.