How To Make Sweet Tea Like A True Southerner

Southerners are known for their delicious sweet tea. In fact, many consider it a must-have, particularly on very hot summer days. And while you can find Southern sweet tea in many restaurants and stores, there’s something special about brewing your own sweet tea that can’t be beat.

To make Southern-style sweet tea, boil half a gallon of water. When the water starts to boil, add 3 black tea bags and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Let the tea bags steep for 15 minutes before taking them out. Add sugar and stir. Then add a half gallon of cold water and stir. Chill before serving.

Despite being a very simple drink with only a handful of ingredients, even a slight change in the process can produce an entirely different drink. So, let’s take a closer look at how you can make Southern sweet tea properly, as well as some tips you should keep in mind as you proceed. 

Ingredients You’ll Need for Southern Sweet Tea

sweet tea on a wooden table

Southern sweet tea is essentially freshly brewed black tea sweetened with sugar while it’s still hot, and then chilled until it’s cooled. Then it’s served over ice. The tricky thing about Southern sweet tea is that even though it only has three main components, all of them are equally important.

The first thing you need is, of course, tea bags. Since Southern sweet tea is served over ice, you should use tea bags (or leaves) specially made for iced tea like Tetley, Red Diamond, or Lipton (on Amazon).

Markings on the packaging will tell you if the tea bags are specially for iced tea. Most likely, they’ll be labeled orange pekoe. 

You should also use black tea instead of green tea. While the latter is certainly delicious, you won’t end up with true Southern tea if you use that. Plus, try to use fragrant and fresh tea bags. Store them in an airtight jar so that the tea doesn’t lose its aroma. 

The next thing you need is sugar for sweetening the tea and, finally, water. But you shouldn’t just use any water. You can use spring or filtered water since it doesn’t have the odd flavor that treated tap water does, but avoid using distilled water since it’s bland and can make the tea taste flat.

Also, keep in mind that bottled water isn’t always spring water; be mindful of what you use. The same is true for the ice. Make sure you use fresh ice only since it’ll eventually melt and become part of the drink. 

Lastly, you need baking soda (on Amazon). It might seem like an odd addition to your tea, but it’s great for taking out its bitterness and making it last for longer. It also prevents the tea from turning cloudy. You can skip the baking soda if you’re going to drink a few cups of tea throughout your day — but if you’re going to keep leftovers in the refrigerator, then you should definitely add the soda.   

How to Make Southern Sweet Tea

To make Southern sweet tea, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Boil half a gallon of water on the stove.
  2. When the water starts to boil, empty it into a pitcher. 
  3. Add 3 tea bags (or more if you prefer a stronger brew) and around ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Don’t stir anything right now, and set a timer for around 15 minutes.
  4. Once the 15 minutes are done, take out the tea bags and let them drip for a few seconds before squeezing them to get as much of the tea out as possible. 
  5. Add sugar and stir it (if you prefer unsweetened iced tea, click here).
  6. Add the remaining half gallon of cold water to the pitcher and stir once more.
  7. Serve immediately, or cool it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving it.  

Tips to Keep in Mind

Southern style iced sweet tea in two glasses rustic wooden table
  • Tea tastes best when it’s made using water brought to a rolling boil. You can use a saucepan or a tea kettle. A microwave doesn’t heat the water evenly and affects the flavor of the tea.
  • Instead of adding tea bags to the hot water, you should pour boiling water over them and allow them to steep until the brew is strong and deeply flavored.
  • Most Southerners state that the brew should be so dark that you can’t read a newspaper through it. 
  • It’s better to dissolve sugar when you take out the tea bags and the tea is still warm. If you add sugar before that, it’ll affect the steeping process.
  • When you steep the tea in a little bit of boiling water, you end up with a double-strength brew. Adding cool water then starts the chilling process. While using ice to dilute the tea would be much faster, it won’t taste as good.   

Can I Substitute Sugar With Other Sweeteners?

True Southern-style sweet tea uses either unbleached or granulated cane sugar. While you can use substitutes like Splenda (on Amazon), you should avoid using water-based simple syrups that can dilute the brew and ultimately change its taste. 

How Long Does Sweet Tea Last in the Fridge?

Sweet tea tastes the best when it’s freshly brewed or, at most, when it’s two days old.

That’s why you should serve it as soon as it’s cold enough. Although baking soda can extend its life, it still eventually ends up with a sour taste after 48 hours, even if you keep it in the fridge.

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