Lately our oldest and I have had a hankerin’ for sweet tea.  No, we’re not from the south, but I say y’all on occasion and we enjoy fried chicken, fried okra, country music, and a lot of other southern culture stereotypes sooo…  Also we try to steer clear of soda because of all the junk ingredients and the cost.  (I do have a great homemade soda recipe I’ll be sharing soon!) Too many sweet tea recipes are too sweet for my northern pallet. I have tinkered with sweet tea recipes all over the blogosphere and have created my own.  We love it!  It’s not too sweet and it really hits the spot!  Hope you like it as much as we do!

Indiana Sweet Tea

1 gallon water (16 cups) divided
4 family size tea bags
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 c. sugar

Bring 1/2 gallon water to a boil.  Remove from heat, stir in baking soda and steep 4 family size tea bags for 10-15 minutes. (The baking soda removes the tannins in the tea and makes it less bitter.) Remove tea bags.  Stir in the sugar until dissolved.  Pour remaining (cold) water into a 1 gallon pitcher, add the sweet tea mixture and serve over ice.  


*Notes:  I like to save my tea bags for another time, just steep them a little longer. Also I like to chill my sweet tea before I serve it so it doesn’t water down with the ice too quickly.  


Enjoy!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe HERE

Green vintage Ball canning jars HERE

 
Ball straws and lids HERE

 

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