Real Southern Sweet Iced Tea Recipe

Go into any restaurant in the south and ask for tea, and you are most likely to find sweet tea. It is a staple item. But to make a good cup of southern sweet tea at home, using black tea leaves, is not as simple as dumping some sugar into your tea. There is a way to make sure it is a great cup of sweet iced tea.

Here is Timmy's recipe for a great batch of sweet Southern iced tea.

Timmy's Southern Sweet Tea

• 1 gallon of water.
• 6 oz of loose leaf tea. (our Black Magnolia tea or Grilled Southern Peach tea are great for this).
• 1 cup of sugar.

Steps:

1. Take one cup of water and one cup of sugar and boil the mixture to make a syrup. Boiling the sugar and mixing it, makes a huge difference in the quality of the sweet tea. The goal here is to fully dissolve the sugar.
2. Then using the rest of the water make your tea. Heat your tea water to 200F (boiling temps do matter) and add your 6 oz of Black Magnolia tea leaf. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
3. Add in your syrup mixture, stirring it in.
4. You can drink it right away but for the best cup of sweet iced tea, let it sit overnight.

Although iced tea is perfect as is, you can add in lemon slices, frozen peaches, mint or some of our Tea Blossom Honey.

Some history on Southern Sweet Tea

While sipping a glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day feels timeless, the beloved beverage actually boasts a fascinating history! Let's dive into the world of sugar, sun, and southern charm to trace its origins:

Early Beginnings:

• 1700s: Tea plants find their way to South Carolina, but attempts at large-scale cultivation fail.

• 1800s: Dr. Charles Shepard establishes the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, SC, marking the only commercially successful tea production in US history.

• 1879: The oldest known recipe for sweet iced tea appears in Marion Cabell Tyree's cookbook, featuring green tea and lemon.

Evolution and Popularity:

• Late 1800s: Black tea from British India replaces green tea, and ice becomes more accessible, boosting the drink's popularity.

• Early 1900s: Sweet tea becomes a cultural staple, appearing in cookbooks and gaining momentum across the South.

• Prohibition (1920s): Iced tea, including sweet tea, experiences a surge as a substitute for alcoholic beverages.

Southern Icon:

• 1928: The "Southern Cooking" cookbook solidifies sweet tea's place as a regional icon.

• 2003: A (lighthearted) attempt in Georgia to make unsweetened tea illegal showcases the drink's deep cultural significance.

Today and Beyond:

• Sweet tea remains a beloved beverage across the South, enjoyed at gatherings, restaurants, and home.

• Variations like peach tea and lemonade tea offer twists on the classic. (We took it a step further and smoked it with Grilled Southern Peach tea which is great iced).

• Debates on "sweetness levels" spark friendly rivalries and reveal the drink's personal touch.

So, the next time you raise a glass of sweet tea, remember: it's not just a thirst quencher; it's a sip of history, a symbol of community, and a taste of the South's warm hospitality. 

So there you have it, real Southern Sweet tea.

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