Southern Sweet Tea

Here it is!  My somewhat-famous-super-easy-sweet-tea-recipe!  Whoo.

I’ve tried lots of sweet tea recipes, but none of them are so delicious or simple as this one.  My pursuit for the perfect sweet tea was prompted by the lack, or non-existence, of this refreshing beverage in my neck of the woods.  Don’t get me wrong, Minnesota is a great state, and probably no one has more Minnesota pride than I do, don’tchya know.  But when it comes to sweet tea, Minnesota’s effort is just pitiful.  The only joint that even sells “sweet tea” is McDonald’s, and I think we can all agree that it’s more like super-sweet tinted water.  All the other restaurants just serve unsweetened, and honestly, who drinks that stuff?!  Anyway… End of rant.

The secret ingredient in this sweet tea is… baking soda!  Seriously, what isn’t baking soda good for.  Just a 1/4 of a teaspoon works to cut the acidity of the tea giving you that perfect smooth flavor!

Southern Sweet Tea

Servings: 1 Gallon / Prep time: 25 min

• 12 black tea bags
• 3/4-1 cup sugar (to taste)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Lemon, for garnish

Start by boiling 4 cups of water.  Put tea bags and baking soda in a bowl, pour in boiling water, and let steep for 15 minutes.  Once 15 minutes is up, add in sugar and stir until dissolved.  Pour concentrated tea into a gallon pitcher and fill with cold water (approximately 12 more cups).

Serve over ice in a mason jar, and go drink that stuff outside!