Last Updated on August 23, 2023
Homemade Sweet Tea is synonymous with Southern culture and is a popular recipe throughout the Sunshine State.
Making homemade Sweet Tea with your own recipe isn’t difficult, but many Southerners argue about how much sugar you should include.
Made with plenty of tea bags for a strong, steeped flavor, a “Simple Syrup” brings sweetness to this iced tea recipe without worrying about loose sugar granules.
TIP: Adding a little baking soda to the Sweet Tea removes cloudiness and gives you a crystal-clear pitcher.
Homemade Southern Sweet Tea
Ingredients
Tea
- 12 regular-size Teabags
- 1 qt. distilled or bottled water
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 qt. ice cubes
- 1 ¼ cups “Simple Syrup”
Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Place Teabags and baking soda in a large heatproof glass pitcher.
- Bring water just to a rolling boil in a saucepan or kettle, and immediately pour over Teabags, making sure bags are submerged. Cover and steep for 7 minutes. Remove tea bags without squeezing; discard tea bags.
- Add ice, and then stir until ice melts. Stir in “Simple Syrup”, and serve over ice.
- First bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Next, boil for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate your Sweet Tea in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
If you rather not make your own iced tea, you can certainly head out to your favorite coffee shop, a Florida restaurant or a Farmers’ Market and treat yourself!
National Sweet Tea Day
August 21st is National Sweet Tea Day. Did you know the earliest version of Sweet Tea used black tea?
Black tea is still very popular when making delicious iced sweet tea.
Here are a few other articles you may enjoy checking out:
- 12 Best Tea Rooms in Florida
- Starfruit, Lemon, and Ginger Tea
- 14 Best Seafood Restaurants Near Orlando
- Delicious Black-Owned Restaurants in Florida
If you’re looking for other iced tea recipes, check our Liptons website.