Traditional Southern Iced Sweet Tea

Sweet Tea in glasses, lemon, and a pitcher.

4.73 from 11 votes

Traditional Southern Iced Sweet Tea

This Traditional Southern Iced Sweet Tea is a refreshing home-brewed sweet tea made from black tea and boasts of great hints of lemon and a whole lot of sweetness---just like they like it down south! The perfect drink for the sunniest of days regardless of the season! A true Southern staple, where conversations cannot exist without a good glass of sweet tea. Different Sweetener Options.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Drinks

Keyword: beverage, classic, easy, healthy, homemade, indulge, juice, lemon, natural, recipe, southern, summer, sweet, sweet tea, traditional, vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

SWEET TEA:

2 quarts filtered water, divided
8 organic black tea bags (You can use 8 tsps of loose tea, if desired)
1 cup organic brown sugar (See Notes!)
l lemon, freshly-squeezed (optional)
¼ teaspoon baking soda (See Notes!)

GARNISH:

Lemons slices or halved

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

BREW THE BLACK TEA:

Start by adding 1 quart of water to a large pot over high heat and bringing it to a boil. Add your tea bags to the boiling water and let it continue to boil for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and let tea bags continue to steep for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. NOTE: The longer that the tea bags steep, the stronger the flavor. You can let them steep up to 30 minutes before it begins to get bitter. Discard the tea bags.
Let the mixture cool completely, about 1 hour or so.

ASSEMBLE + CHILL:

In a pitcher, add steeped tea mixture, lemon juice, baking soda, remaining water, stirring together until combined. Next, refrigerate immediately to keep it cold, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Once sweet tea has chilled considerably, serve by pouring sweet tea into prepared glass(es) filled with ice and adding lemon slices or halves, if desired.
Sip and enjoy!

Notes

STORAGE: Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered in your pitcher or in a sealed mason jar (for smaller leftover amounts). Best if consumed within a few days.
SWEETENER: You can always use pure cane sugar, allulose, stevia, or honey instead of brown sugar.
BAKING SODA: Adding baking soda to your sweet tea prevents it from getting cloudy and bitter. If you've ever tried leaving your leftover sweet tea in the refrigerator for a few days, only to find out that after a day or so, it's bitter and not as enjoyable----then know that adding a small amount of baking soda does the trick!

Nutrition