Sweet Tea Recipe
Make Sweet Tea Recipe in just 1h 35m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Tea
Method
Tea
Brew tea
Once boiling, remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Cover the pot and steep for 5 minutes for a balanced strength, 6–7 minutes for stronger tea. Avoid steeping more than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.
Sweeten
Remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract the liquid (do not squeeze hard to avoid bitterness). While the brewed tea is still hot, stir in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until completely dissolved. Taste and add up to 1–2 tablespoons more if you prefer sweeter tea.
Cool and dilute
Pour the sweetened tea into a heatproof pitcher. Add 2 cups of cold water to bring the temperature down and adjust strength. Stir to combine. Let the tea cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.
Chill
Refrigerate the pitcher until cold, about 1–2 hours. If you need it quickly, fill glasses with ice and pour tea over the ice immediately; note that ice will dilute the tea as it melts.
Serve
To serve, fill tall glasses with ice (about 1 cup or more per glass) and pour the chilled sweet tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig, if using. Stir before drinking.