Most southerners drink their sweet tea unadulterated, nothing but tea and sugar. The recipe is simple: Brew 3 family sized Lipton tea bags in two cups of water, pour it in a gallon pitcher, and add a cup and 1/2 of sugar while the tea is hot. Fill the pitcher with ice cold water and ice. Serve over plenty of ice.
That’s what a southerner wants when they order tea. Tea” in the south means “sweet tea.
In honor of Southern sweet tea drinkers, I’ll share a few more sweet tea recipes that you can serve ice cold on a sultry summer afternoon.
There is no better flavor than peach to add to a glass of ice cold tea, at least from a Georgia perspective. Peach tea is super easy to make. Peach adds a smooth, soft fruity flavor to tea.
Ingredients for Peach Tea:
Water
Family sized tea bags (green or black)
Cinnamon
Fresh peaches (8-10) or canned peaches (enough to blend and make 2 cups peach nectar) or peach liquor
Sugar to taste (That’s at least a cup in the South, but may be as little as 4-5 tablespoons.)
Fresh Basil Leaves
For a gallon of peachy tea use the following directions.
1. Boil two cups of water. Add a tablespoon of cinnamon and 3 family size tea bags. Steep tea bags and cinnamon in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, to
desired strength.
2. Make 2 cups peach nectar by liquefying peaches in blender. (Use enough peaches to fill blender to 4 quarts. Blend with 1 cup of water.)
3. Strain and pour tea into glass pitcher.
4. Stir in peach nectar (or peach liquor), lemon juice, and sugar.
5. Pour over plenty of ice.
6. Garnish with a basil leaf and peach slice.
Recipe for Mo-Tea-To (Mint Lime Tea)
Some guest may prefer an afternoon Mojito, but serve a refreshing twist by preparing a light, minty Mo-Tea-To. This is a variation of Lipton’s Basil Mo-Tea-To. They recommend bottled pre-made tea. I prefer to use fresh brewed tea. They use basil, I prefer mint leaves, as you would use in a Mojito.
Ingredients for Mint Lime Tea:
Water
Green tea family sized tea bags
Mint leaves
6-8 Limes
Sugar
Bacardi Rum
Seltzer
This recipe makes approximately a gallon of tea, to be served in individual 8 ounce glasses.
1. Boil two cups of water. Steep 2 family size Green Tea bags in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, to desired strength.
2. In a half gallon pitcher muddle (crush) 48 mint leaves.
3. Add the juice of 5 fresh squeezed limes. (Lime concentrate may be used, but the flavor is best using fresh lime.)
4. Add a cup of sugar.
5. Pour the hot brewed tea into the half gallon pitcher.
6. Add 16 – 32 ounces of Bacardi Rum. (Mo-Tea-To can be made without rum. When making Mint Lime tea without rum adjust tea strength and add
additional sugar, up to 1/3 cup to taste.)
7. Finish filling the half gallon pitcher with cold water.
8. Stir well.
9. Add ice to 8 ounce glasses, placing two mint leaves in each glass for garnish.
10. Fill each glass ½ to 1/3 full of tea. (The amount depends on your preference for tea strength and how much liquor you have used.)
11. Finish filling each glass with chilled seltzer.
12. Garnish each glass with a slice of lime.
