Sweet Summer Iced Tea

This Sweet Summer Iced Tea is the perfect beverage to drink on hot summer days.

This is my favorite beverage to make in the summer and keep in the refrigerator.  It’s so easy to pour yourself a glass when the weather is sweltering.  A super cold iced tea really hits the spot!  It’s also nice to have on hand to be able to offer to guests too.

How to make the best Sweet Summer Iced Tea:

In a large pitcher, you’ll combine sugar with lemon juice and boiling water.  This will give the sugar a chance to dissolve and the lemon a chance to infuse with the water.  In another container, you’ll combine boiling water with mint and tea– and let it steep for 15 minutes.  When done, you’ll remove the mint and the tea bags and add the tea mixture to the pitcher.  Cold water is added to the pitcher, and then you can let it chill for several hours before serving.

About Iced Tea:

Iced tea is steeped tea that has been chilled.  It’s usually served in a glass with ice.  It can be sweetened or not- with sugar, syrups, honey or artificial sweeteners.  Sweet Iced Tea is particularly popular in the south.  Southerners swear by their traditional sweet tea, and they drink it all year long.

What kinds of tea make the best sweet tea?

• Earl Grey
• Black Tea
• Green Tea
• Hibiscus Tea
• Chamomile Tea
• Peach Tea

Sweeteners for iced tea:

• sugar:  traditional white sugar, sugar cubes or sugar-coated swizzle sticks (note that sugar melts best into hot tea, so if you’re making iced tea… add the sugar during the steeping process)
• honey: you don’t need to use as much honey as you would sugar because it’s sweeter.  Try different varieties of honey!
• simple syrup, flavored syrups or agave syrup

This recipe is very versatile because you can use alternate flavors of tea, and you can sweeten it with more (or less) sugar, as desired.

Here are a few more summer recipes you might like to try:

• Summer Vegetable Quiche
• Grilled Chicken Summer Salad
• Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Dump and Bake Summer Pasta
• Summer Macaroni Salad
• Summer Corn Chowder
• Grilled Steak Chopped Summer Salad
• Thai Summer Salad

5 from 3 votes

Sweet Summer Iced Tea

By RecipeGirl.com

Sweet iced tea to drink all summer long!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Steeping Time:: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 cups

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ 2 large lemons, juiced
• ▢ 4 cups boiling water
• ▢ 4 bags Earl Grey tea
• ▢ 1 handful mint leaves
• ▢ 4 cups cold water

Instructions 

• In a pitcher, combine the sugar, lemon juice and 2 cups boiling water. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
• In another container, combine 2 cups of boiling water, the tea bags and mint; steep for 15 minutes. Remove the mint and the tea bags and discard. Add this mixture to the pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water, and stir. Chill for several hours before serving.

Notes

• *Amounts of tea, water, and sugar may be adjusted for a stronger, weaker, sweeter taste.
• Try using an alternate flavor of tea: Black Tea, Green Tea, Hibiscus Tea, Chamomile Tea, Peach Tea

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 57kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 37mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 20IU, Vitamin C: 14.4mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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