Sweet Tea

We live in an age of convenience. Microwave popcorn, frozen biscuits, pre-scored break-apart cookies, and now fast food ice tea by the gallon. The problem is not that Chick-fil-a and McDonald's sells ice tea by the gallon or that they sell it for $3.00 to $5.00 a gallon. It is the fact that someone buys it! Sweet Tea is not difficult to make, I am still baffled at why it is impossible to get good sweet tea above the Mason-Dixon Line. Although the Eat'nPark in Pennsylvania has decent sweet tea.

You should make your own sweet tea because it gives you the ability to customize your own brew. If you like it sweet pour on the sugar. If you like it not so sweet hold back. If you are watching your sugar intake you can use all sorts of sweeteners. When you make it yourself, then the choice is yours's to make.

So here is a recipe for Sweet Tea.

First boil water (1/4 to 1/3) Gallon. I never measure this. Just fill-up the kettle and boil. I do think that certain areas of the county suffer from poor water and thus poor sweet tea. If your water is of poor quality, then go buy a gallon of water to make your tea. It will add less than a dollar to the cost and will still be much cheaper than going out to buy tea.

Second, put 8 individual tea bags, 4 family size tea bags, or one-gallon size tea bag in a pitcher, batter bowl, or other water-holding heat safe vessel.

Third, when water boils pour over tea bags.

Fourth, let steep for 4 minutes.

Fifth, prepare serving pitcher. Put the amount of sweetener you would like in the bottom of this empty container. Some people put two cups of sugar and others one cup. I grew up with a tea that had nine saccharine tables and 1/4 cup of sugar. You can use whatever you want. I use a cup plus a little more of white granulated sugar made from sugar cane.

Sixth, After four minutes, remove tea bags carefully and pour still very warm water into the pitcher with the sugar. Mix very well.

Seventh, fill up the pitcher with more water till you have a gallon.

At this point, you can pour over ice and drink or you can put in the refrigerator overnight so that the tea can cure. Coffee is best when freshly brewed. Sweet Ice Tea is best when given some time to cure in the fridge. Day-old sweet tea, in my opinion, is much better.

So how much do you save? Here is the estimated breakdown of cost:
Tea - $0.40
Sugar  - $0.25
Water & Electric - $0.10
Total is about -
$0.75  (> $1.75 if you buy water)

You will pay $3-$5 going to the drive-thru to buy a gallon of tea.

Now I know there are many different ways to making sweet tea and before someone starts with this is not how mama made it, I want to clarify that this is but an example of how it can be done. I am not saying this is the ultimate sweet tea recipe. I am just trying to help out those hurting masses who are paying $4.00 for inferior sweet tea. I hope if you are one of those people buying sweet tea that you will take seven minutes and just try it for yourself.



Good Eatings!

The Hungry Preacher