topic Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE? in Recipes

SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:08:05 GMT

I have seen "sweet tea" referenced in many things regarding the southern states.

Isn't it just sweetened tea ... or what?

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Shelbelle — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:12:46 GMT

i started buying Southern Breeze Sweet Tea Cold Brew Iced Tea bags, comes in many flavors, it is delicious but it is very sweet, uses sucralose so it is calorie free. . If I were to make my own iced tea and add my own sweetener I would not make it as sweet.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

KingstonsMom — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:31:30 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

As a southern girl, coastal GA, 'sweet tea' and 'sweetened tea' mean the same thing, brewed (or sun) tea with real sugar added after brewing.

I've never heard of tea bags with artificial sweetener as another poster mentioned.

No thanks, I don't do artificial sweetener with anything.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

RedTop — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:38:02 GMT

@Tinkrbl44

Yes, it is just tea with some type of sweetener.

In this house we drink strong brewed tea made with Luzianne teabags, sweetened with white sugar syrup (sugar and water). NO lemon, no mint leaves, just tea, water, sugar, and ice.

I buy Luzianne teabags every trip to the store and have a stockpile to avoid the panic my family would experience if we did not have extra boxes on the pantry shelf.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Cakers3 — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:40:09 GMT

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Icegoddess — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:38:11 GMT

I think there's a difference in WHEN the sweetener is added, especially if it's sugar. You can get a sweeter tea if you add the sugar while it's still brewing than you can after it has cooled. Many people only want tea that was sweetened while it was brewing. If you try to add sugar to iced tea most of it will just sink to the bottom of the glass.

I'm not a fan of iced tea. I only drink hot tea and just use Truvia in it.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

skatting44 — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:47:30 GMT

@RedTop

My favorite brand , Luzianne for iced tea . I don't make sweet tea , however the best tasting tea is the Luzianne

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

RedTop — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:48:20 GMT

@Cakers3

I was taught to bring the water to a rolling boil, remove from the heat, add the teabags, and steep for at least 15 minutes. While the tea steeps, I boil at least 1 1/2 cups of cold water with 1 1/2 cups white sugar until sugar is dissolved. Once the teabags are removed, stir the sugar syrup into the strong tea, then serve over ice.

My husband makes tea in an old Corning stove top coffee pot and is most likely to put sugar straight into the hot tea. I make tea in a 6 quart pot and always make a syrup with the sugar.

We do not drink sun tea.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

skatting44 — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:49:15 GMT

when I was growing up the " sweet tea " was made by placing the sugar and tea bags into hot water , that way the sugar dissolves . Sweetened tea was when you added your own sugar after the tea was cooled and ice added

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Franklinbell — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:58:47 GMT

@RedTop @Wow! I used to make it like this for my mom! When the tea was finished I would pop some popcorn and she was thrilled! I did this for her all of her life. She loved it!

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

On It — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 23:14:00 GMT

@RedTop @skatting44 I agree with both of you concerning sweet and sweetened tea. I boil the water in my 4 cup measuring cup and add tea bags after removing from the microwave. I cover the top and let the tea brew while I prepare the meal. Just before serving the meal, I mix what is essentially hummingbird juice (without the red food coloring) with the brewed tea. That is sweet tea.

When I am in a hurry and the sugar bowl has to be placed on the table along with teaspoons, everyone sweetens his own. The sugar does not dissolve completely like it does with sweet tea, so it is sweetened not sweet.

When serving the meal the first question we ask is "Sweet or Unsweetened?" We have pitchers of both freshly made.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

KingstonsMom — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 23:23:25 GMT

Our southern way of making sweet tea that I grew up with, is to bring the water to a boil, add the tea bags and let boil 1 minute, remove from heat, cover and let steep with teabags for 10 minutes.

Remove tea bags and add sugar to hot pot of tea, stir to dissolve sugar, and pour into a gallon container, then add cold water till container is full.

I just made a gallon for DD a few minutes ago!

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Sooner — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 23:23:45 GMT

No sweet tea in this house! We are hard core, straight up on the rocks TEA drinkers! Good strong tea!

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Drythe — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 23:36:42 GMT

To my knowledge, a Southerners for Sweet Tea discussion started many years ago in the South when so many people moved here and started complaining about sweet v/s. unsweetened tea. Some even had bumper stickers!

Anyway, that aside, to me and my Mamaws, sweet tea is made by adding sugar to hot tea. The lore is that it is sweeter than tea sweetened when cold 🥶. Likely because less sugar dissolves in cold tea. I don't do sweetener, so know nothing about it.

Enjoy your tea however you make it.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

ECBG — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:05:43 GMT

The teas are identical. I am from the south.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

Kachina624 — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:12:13 GMT

I don't like traditional sweet tea as its always too sweet. I always use part of a packet of Sweet 'n Low and that's the only sweetener I like for tea.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

ECBG — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 11:47:03 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I don't like traditional sweet tea as its always too sweet. I always use part of a packet of Sweet 'n Low and that's the only sweetener I like for tea.

@Kachina624

I can't stand the teas that are so sweet they're like syrup!

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 20:40:55 GMT

For me, there's a difference. Sweet tea is brewed and granulated sugar (lots of it) is added while it's still steeping, or right afterwards while it's still hot. Sweetened tea is brewed, but unadulterated. Sweetener (usually an alternative to granulated white sugar) is added upon serving.

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

SouthernBee — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 14:26:22 GMT

@KingstonsMom wrote:
Our southern way of making sweet tea that I grew up with, is to bring the water to a boil, add the tea bags and let boil 1 minute, remove from heat, cover and let steep with teabags for 10 minutes.

Remove tea bags and add sugar to hot pot of tea, stir to dissolve sugar, and pour into a gallon container, then add cold water till container is full.

I just made a gallon for DD a few minutes ago!

@KingstonsMom : Totally agree but I changed mine to the following : I use the family size tea bags and we prefer a strong tea. I use a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup. To make a gallon of tea- I use 8 tea bags and fill the measuring cup with water and put it in the microwave for 5 minutes and remove from microwave and set on the counter for 5 more minutes. I prepare my tea pitcher by adding the sugar and just cover with water to dissolve the sugar and will be thick. I don't make the tea extra sweet.Then add the hot tea and stir . People told me that is against all true southern recipes. I am known for delicious tea. Several friends and relatives requested to watch while I was making tea and they were horrified to discover that I use the decaf tea. SIL always complains that her tea doesn't taste the same and then she confesses that she only uses 3 of the family size teabags to make a gallon of tea🤷‍♀️😳. She was drinking some of my tea yesterday and stated she wished her tea was just as delicious. I told her: If you have my recipe and fail to follow the ingredients and instructions that's your problem and please do not say anything else about tea.😁🥤🥤🥤🥤🥤🥤

Re: SWEETENED vs. SWEET TEA ... ANY DIFFERENCE?

wagirl — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 15:08:18 GMT

Am a northern girl--no sweet tea for me--drink it plain over ice