What's the deal with sweet tea?

[ThinkTink721]

We don't buy our sweet tea in the store, we make our own.
We have an iced tea maker & we sweeten it to our liking.

 

[tigsmom]

We don't buy our sweet tea in the store, we make our own.
We have an iced tea maker & we sweeten it to our liking.

But do you use a simple sugar syrup instead of water to make that tea?
Simply adding sugar to freshly brewed tea does not make it sweet tea

 

[Wilt Dasney]

But do you use a simple sugar syrup instead of water to make that tea?
Simply adding sugar to freshly brewed tea does not make it sweet tea

If the brew is still hot, I think it would fit the bill. As long as you have hot water, sugar, and some kind of tea mixture, that's sweet tea where I come from, whatever order you combine 'em in. My dad would always boil the tea bags first, then pour it in a pitcher of sugar to let it all dissolve together.

 

[Pongo]

If the brew is still hot, I think it would fit the bill. As long as you have hot water, sugar, and some kind of tea mixture, that's sweet tea where I come from, whatever order you combine 'em in. My dad would always boil the tea bags first, then pour it in a pitcher of sugar.

That's how I was taught to make it too.

 

[KingStefan]

IMO, the best sweet tea that I have tasted is at a chain of restaurants in the south called McAllister's Deli - theirs is the best! :slurp:

I just read the post re: the boiled peanuts - we love those too!

When I first moved down there, I didn't try them for a long time, because I thought people were sayin' "bald peanuts":lol: I couldn't for the life of me figure out what they were!

Then somebody one day said that they were going to make "bald peanuts" at the place where I was working for lunch tomorrow, so make sure I allowed for that when I brought lunch, and I finally asked "what are bald peanuts", and he said, "well, you heat up some water on a stove outside and you ball 'em", and I finally understood.

 

[tigsmom]

As long as you have hot water, sugar, and some kind of tea mixture, that's sweet tea where I come from, whatever order you combine 'em in. My dad would always boil the tea bags first, then pour it in a pitcher of sugar to let it all dissolve together.

I had an older waitress down south tell me how to make sweet tea (since bing a NYer I had never heard of it before) and she said if it isn't made with a simple syrup then it's not sweet tea. :shrug:

Either way I can't drink it, it makes me sick to my stomach as I use no sugar at all, just lemon.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I had an older waitress down south tell me how to make sweet tea (since bing a NYer I had never heard of it before) and she said if it isn't made with a simple syrup then it's not sweet tea. :shrug:

Either way I can't drink it, it makes me sick to my stomach as I use no sugar at all, just lemon.

Could be it's one of those intramural wars that divides Southern families, like rooting for Alabama or Auburn. :lol:

I agree, water or plain tea with lemon tastes fine and is a lot healthier. Too many things that should be occasional indulgences have essentially become food pyramid building blocks down here.

 

[Disneybird]

We got sweet tea at Trails End in May. It was pretty good too. There is only 1 restaurant I have ever seen that had a bottle of sugar water on the table that you would add to your tea, to make it sweet. It's in Murfreesboro, Tn..

One more thing, I like a slice of lemon in my tea, but not in my water.

 

[pinkrose]

We don't buy our sweet tea in the store, we make our own.
We have an iced tea maker & we sweeten it to our liking.

We make our own as well.

If the brew is still hot, I think it would fit the bill. As long as you have hot water, sugar, and some kind of tea mixture, that's sweet tea where I come from, whatever order you combine 'em in. My dad would always boil the tea bags first, then pour it in a pitcher of sugar to let it all dissolve together.

Thats how we've always made it as well, only we disolve a lot of suger in a little warm water, then add it to the hot tea..

 

[ThinkTink721]

But do you use a simple sugar syrup instead of water to make that tea?
Simply adding sugar to freshly brewed tea does not make it sweet tea

We brew the tea w/ the water in the ice tea maker & then add the sugar afterwards - my hubby likes to add a piece of fresh lemon, but I prefer it w/o the lemon.

We use tap water, ice, instant tea bags & granulated sugar - that's how it's made in "our neck of the woods." :ROFLOL: :wave:

 

[SeaBreeze]

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person born below the Mason-Dixon line who doesn't like sweet tea. In fact, I absolutely hate the stuff. I'd rather have traditional hot tea with no sweeteners. I don't seem to be a fan of most traditional southern food. My parents are from upstate New York though so maybe that's why? :lol:

 

[Pongo]

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person born below the Mason-Dixon line who doesn't like sweet tea. In fact, I absolutely hate the stuff. I'd rather have traditional hot tea with no sweeteners. I don't seem to be a fan of most traditional southern food. My parents are from upstate New York though so maybe that's why? :lol:

Florida isn't really part of the South, so you're okay :lol:

 

[maggiegrace1]

If the brew is still hot, I think it would fit the bill. As long as you have hot water, sugar, and some kind of tea mixture, that's sweet tea where I come from, whatever order you combine 'em in. My dad would always boil the tea bags first, then pour it in a pitcher of sugar to let it all dissolve together.

Thta is how everyone makes sweet tea here also..

I had an older waitress down south tell me how to make sweet tea (since bing a NYer I had never heard of it before) and she said if it isn't made with a simple syrup then it's not sweet tea. :shrug:

No one here makes it with simple syrup at all..I have never heard anyone make it that way and call it sweet tea either..:shrug:it is always made the way BJ described..and the more sugar the better

 

[Pongo]

Thta is how everyone makes sweet tea here also..

No one here makes it with simple syrup at all..I have never heard anyone make it that way and call it sweet tea either..:shrug:it is always made the way BJ described..and the more sugar the better

My mom just made some. She poured a ton of sugar into a pitcher and put some tea bags in with them, then filled the pitcher halfway with boiling water. Then she filled it the rest of the way with cool water after the tea had steeped.

I guess everyone's got a different way of making it, but I think as long as the sugar is added when the water it HOT, then it's Sweet Tea.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Could be the fact that Mad talked with an older lady caused her to learn a way of making sweet tea that has started to die out over the years? You always hear people talk about how their gramma makes the best so-and-so you'll ever find. The old folks just do things differently in the kitchen. That's probably true for any part of the country.

 

[Phonedave]

Shirmp Po-Boy's are the best! :slurp:

Woman I used to work with (who was from the south) called them "scrimps"

As in a Scrimp Po-boy

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

As far as making sweet tea is concerned, it should not matter if you make it with simple syrup or add sugar to the hot tea - the end result is the same, a shanke load of sugar.

I personally cant stand the stuff - makes my teeth hurt its so sweet.

I am going to assume the simple syrup route started because that way you could make sweet sun tea.

Much like the mom, I have simple syrup around the house - for mojitos (also grow mint for just such a purpose)

As far as personal proclivities are concerned.

Hot tea - either with lemon, lemon and honey, milk, or straight (it depends on the tea)

Cold tea - "Northern" unsweetened iced tea with lemon.

And for that matter coffee is s strange thing - at home, or in a restaruant where I can sit and enjoy it - black. If its "road coffee" in a paper cup with a lid - milk and splenda. Don't ask why, that just how I drink it.

-dave

 

[The Mom]

Florida isn't really part of the South, so you're okay :lol:

I wouldn't say that out loud in certain rural FL counties. :lookaroun

 

[SeaBreeze]

I wouldn't say that out loud in certain rural FL counties. :lookaroun

Haha I was thinking the same thing :lol: I'm definitely not from a Southern county though so I guess I can still use that excuse... people still seem to think I'm a freak of nature though

 

[Pongo]

I wouldn't say that out loud in certain rural FL counties. :lookaroun

Oh, no doubt. But apart from states like Georgia or North Carolina where EVERYONE considers the state as part of The South, Florida is just kind of meh on the subject.

It's all those Yankee immigrants! :lookaroun :lol: