Staple of the Southern Kitchen ~ Sweet Tea

Every Southern Kitchen has staples and one of the most important is Sweet Tea. In the south, Sweet Tea is a delicacy, you don't have to even ask if it is iced, because when the temperature is 86 degrees and the humidity is hitting 117% it is a given.

The art of making sweet tea has been passed down from generation to generation. My mama made it and her mama before her and her mama before her, likewise with my father's side of the family. No good southern meal is complete without sweet tea.

Growing up our family would go through a gallon of sweet tea each day, we didn't have Coke or water in our fridge, we had sweet tea!

Mama had one pot she made the tea in, it was old beat up tin pot that was only used for making sweet tea. I assume the flavors of the tea somehow stayed in the pot after hundreds of preparations because mama made it clear, that pot was ONLY for tea, nothing else. Not a kettle, a pot. Through the years that pot got beat up, the handles came off and the tea stain couldn't be removed, but it always remained the sweet tea pot.

Some people add a swig of lemon juice or a squirt of lime juice to their glass and on special occasions when pineapple was used in a dish, the juice was saved for individual glasses of sweet tea, but most often sweet tea spoke for itself, nothing else was needed, just the nectar of a refreshing glass of sweet tea.

With the invention of the microwave, tea making evolved as well, no more steady boil, just 4 minutes in the microwave and it was done. For years I told mama that it was a scientific fact that water should not be boiled in the microwave as the waves were damaging to your health, unfortunately she didn't listen to me and changed her brewing habits forever. I still contend, stove top brewing makes the best tea and when I really want to transport myself back to my roots, I put on a pot and boil away.

As I said, sweet tea is a staple, just like butter, eggs, meat and vegetables, no meal or family gathering is complete without a big ole glass of sweet tea.

Recipe:

1 Pot

4 Family size Lipton Tea Bags (it really does make a difference, Lipton is best!)

1 Cup of Sugar

Boil one pot of water (about 2 quarts with the tea bags)

Add one cup of sugar to a gallon pitcher (yes, one cup per gallon)

After the tea has boiled for about 5 minutes remove it from the stove and pour the tea into the pitcher.

Using the same pot with the tea bags still in the pot, add more water and pour into the pitcher until you have filled the gallon jug.

Stir until sugar is dissolved

Refrigerate

That's it today from Notes From a Southern Kitchen, email me or send me a comment and until next time, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and enjoy.