Recipes

[Tinkrbl44]

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

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

[Shelbelle]

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. 

[KingstonsMom]

@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.

[RedTop]

@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.

[Icegoddess]

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.

[skatting44]

@RedTop 

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

[RedTop]

@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.   

[skatting44]

 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

[Franklinbell]

@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!