Sweet Tea On A Hot Day Is Heaven To A Southerner...

Sweet tea on a hot day is heaven to a Southerner; I know that to be true. I grew up in the deep South– where summer days were sweltering with heat, and the air was always heavy with humidity.  Summer evenings would find us kids in the cool shade of Mama’s veranda, sprawled in our old porch swing with an ice-cold glass of sweet tea clutched in our hands. We spent many happy hours there, escaping the heat–laughing and talking, listening to music on a transistor radio; eating Chico-Stix and Baby Ruth bars, and always, ALWAYS drinking Mama’s sweet tea.

Ah, the memories…  I can still see the beads of sweat on those cold tea glasses; I can still hear the rattle of ice cubes and the comforting creak of the old porch swing. If I close my eyes, I can almost taste the sweetness of that first sip– and the surprising sourness of the lemon. I can feel the wonderful coldness of that golden liquid as it slides down my parched throat, and hear the inevitable sigh of satisfaction that follows– ahhh…Nothing was ever better than Mama’s sweet tea in the summer!

In those days, everyone we knew drank sweet tea–every day, and all day long.   Every kitchen had a pitcher of sweet tea in the refrigerator, and every café, restaurant, and diner had sweet tea on their menu.  But all sweet tea is not created equal…

Anyone that has ever attended a Sunday School social in our town will tell you–hands down, Mama’s sweet tea was the best.  And it still is.  After all these years, folks still ask for the recipe– so we decided it was time to share...

Siobhan and I hope you will try Mama’s Sweet Tea recipe this summer–and make some happy memories of your own!  (lemon and porch are optional.)

Mama’s Sweet Tea Recipe

You will need:
a 2 qt. enamel pot (it HAS to be enamel; stainless steel or non-stick pots will leave an aftertaste)
a 1 gal pitcher
1 gal. cold water
3 Lipton Family Size tea bags
1 1/2 c. sugar
lemons (only required in the South!)

Directions: Pour 1 quart of cold water into a 2-quart enamel pot; bring water to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to a medium-low setting; add tea bags and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat, and allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Remove and discard tea bags; pour hot tea into a 1 gallon pitcher.  Add sugar and stir.  Add remaining 3 quarts of cold water; stir well and refrigerate immediately to avoid clouding.   Serve over ice; add lemon slices, if desired.  Enjoy!