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A glass pitcher filled with homemade Southern sweet tea, garnished with lemon slices and fresh mint.

Southern Sweet Tea Recipe

A classic Southern beverage made with black tea, sugar, and optional lemon slices for garnish.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: beverage
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 90
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Method
 

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
  2. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the black tea bags. Let them steep for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Discard the tea bags and stir in the baking soda (optional) for enhanced smoothness.
  4. Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir until completely dissolved.
  5. Pour the sweetened tea into a large pitcher and add the remaining 4 cups of cold water. Stir well.
  6. Refrigerate the tea until chilled, about 1-2 hours.
  7. Serve over ice cubes and garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Notes

For a stronger tea flavor, steep the tea bags for an additional 2 minutes. Adjust sugar to taste.