Tip Tuesday: Easy Homemade Sweet Tea

Posted by Alexandra C. | Tuesday October 16, 2012

I mentioned last week, that over the course of my trip to Orlando, I had fallen in love with southern sweet tea. Here in Canada, sweet tea isn't as big of a thing as it is in the U.S. And let me just say, you Americans are lucky people. Sweet tea is so tasty and delicious. Though it may seem like a beverage geared more towards summer, when something is this good, I completely defy that notion. You can drink it any time of the year.

Now, sweet tea has a bit of a different taste than an iced tea. Sweet tea, like the name suggests, is smooth and not as bitter of a drink. I thought that sweet tea would be complicated to make or require special ingredients, but as it turns out, it's so easy. You just add one household ingredient: baking soda!

Here's how to make your own sweet tea:

Step 1: Brew and steep tea. I used 3 orange pekoe tea bags for about 1 1/2- 2 cups boiling water (depending on how strong you like it). Let it steep for about 15 minutes and remove tea bags.

Step 2: Add 1/2 cup of sugar (more or less depending on your tastes). Then add about 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda. Stir well and refrigerate.

Serve in a tall glass with lots of ice and enjoy!

(recipe adapted via smashpeasandcarrots.blogspot.ca)

Optional: If you're feeling adventurous, add a twist to your sweet tea. Have fun and experiment with it. Try the addition of a fruit flavour like lemon or watermelon. Or, use white or green tea instead.

(images via trialx.org, lindzandy.blogspot.ca, freerecipes.org, taylortakesataste.com, blogs.babble.com)

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16 Comments

	on November 07, 2015 KrissiC 25,848 said: Yes! This is so amazing! Thank you!!!
	on October 23, 2012 mssiebleu said: I have heard of sweet tea, but never had tried one, after seeing this I might give it a shot, though what's with the baking soda?? :D
	on October 22, 2012 mamaluv STAFF said: Yes, I like Luzianne too! I have made sweet tea with spicier flavours like Earl Grey and Chai but that's not for every palette. The bonus with Luzianne is that it's really smooth, so as long as you're using a tea that has a smooth taste profile you should be fine.
	on October 22, 2012 AlexJC 50 said: @adft Using the Luzianne is a good tip! I actually did look for it but unfortunately, for us chicks up north it is a bit tougher to find.
	on October 18, 2012 smiley_gen 9,832 said: I have never made sweet tea and have always been curious about making some! Thanks!
	on October 17, 2012 amyknows 2,352 said: OH my word, that sounds delicious. Definitely trying this our asap!! So excited!!
	on October 16, 2012 Malixy 2,623 said: Yes, I make mine with decaf all the time. It works just fine. Watch your sugar, I make a 3 gallon jug with 10 spoons of sugar, and a bit of a fruity kick, and its sweet enough. You can squeeze fresh raspberry juice into it or whatever you like, just dont leave the actual fruit pieces in there or they taste weird later. You can, however, add frsh raspberries to the drink just when you serve it, when it will be consumed immediately rather then hours later.
	on October 16, 2012 cutie_marlena 3,191 said: Mmmm sounds good! I wanna try this, but I don;t have baking soda :-( ...and now you've made me want tea, but it's too late to drink tea...It will keep me up all night
	on October 16, 2012 midnightsun2288 6,053 said: I am lucky that I live in America I guess, I can get sweet tea any time I want :) My Grandmother used to make amazing sweet tea too and her secret was baking soda.
	on October 16, 2012 mamaluv STAFF said: Yes, I'll try the baking soda then! The bitterness was the only downside. Maybe this way my kids will stop griping about the half-rations of sugar (from Day One I've tried to moderate their sugar intake and it's not going well).