Sweet Tea and the Good Life

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I just finished laying tons of flagstones, some I pulled out of other people's yards that were re-landscaping and some I dug out of the side of a hill that was exposed after they made a new road. I poured concrete for risers and made a path with steps up the hill from the house to the studio. My daughters helped, but needless to say, I did most of the lifting and digging. 105F heat index with 100% humidity keeps you soaked in sweat, even if you are not doing anything. So, tons of water was consumed this summer, but when the work is done, and I want to keep spit in my mouth, I want something sweet. Relaxing in my own sweat, with my bulldog loaded with some LTF or Erinmore Flakes, nothing is as refreshing in the Southern heat as a tall glass of iced sweet tea. We make it five gallons at a time, and I thought that I would share the recipe for genuine Southern Sweet Tea with you guys.
First, boil a gallon of water in a large pot. Then when it comes to rolling boil, pull it off the stove and take it outside. Add three family sized bags of Liptons or Luisianne Tea, and two handfuls of fresh mint leaves. Let it set for five minutes. Then remove the Tea bags and as many of the mint leaves as you can fish out of there, but it's ok to leave some floaters. Stir in four cups of sugar. Many Southerners will add more or use Karo syrup, but I find this too thick and overwhelming for my tastes. Then add two sliced lemons, peels and all. Set aside.

Fill your five gallon container with ice. We use one that fits perfectly into the top shelf of the fridge with a convienient spigot in it. Then add the tea, and top off the container with cold water till it reaches the top. Leave the lemon slices and any floating mint that remains. It should be lighter in color than a cola, but darker than lemonaid, a nice smokey topaz color.
Fill a glass with ice, a few sprigs of mint, and pour in some tea. Refills will set in the fridge for up to a week, and you can have cold sweet tea at any time during the day.
Then, when the cicadas are humming their shamans rattles to vibrate your brain while you shade yourself under the sickeningly sweet magnolias and mimosa trees with their puffy Dr Seuss looking pink blooms, you can smoke your fruity Erinmore while sipping your tea, relaxing, and getting the grill ready to smoke some ribs. It doesn't get more Southern than that without a banjo or beautiful women in tube tops and Daisy Dukes.
...like liquid sunshine.

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,092
11,008
Southwest Louisiana
Southern Alabama Red Neck BarB Q Pit. :rofl:

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,068
Carmel Valley, CA
Brilliant, Brad! I do wonder what happens when the porcelain gets cold enough and hot enough ant then when the two meet....

 

hobie1dog

Lifer
Jun 5, 2010
6,888
233
67
Cornelius, NC
First I would think that only 5 minutes of steeping the tea bags would not be near long enough. I let mine set for 15 minutes( maybe that's my problem) then pouring it into a 5 gallon bucket? Seems again that it would be very diluted at that point
Second- where in the hell do you get a 5 gallon jug with a spigot that will fit in a refrigerator? Must be one big-ass fridge 8O
Anyway, I drank sweet tea most of my life, and it definitely aided me in getting Type2 Diabetes. The pancreas finally gives up.....lol. When you see what they put into artificial sweeteners, you want to go back to regular sugar. Sweetening things with refined or natural unprocessed things like honey is a favorite topic of mine.
I've tried Lipton and Luzianne, still not happy with the taste of them, it seems the restaurants I go to always has better tea than I make at home. Thanks for the great topic, I still drink tea with most every bowl.

 
My mother perfected the five minute thing, maybe her mother. The instructions say three, but that is not nearly enough. Fifteen would be too bitter. The time works best for what we like. Plus, add in mint and lemon, and with the diluted tea, it is the perfect ratio for a balanced flavor, IMO.

I've went from a 34" waste to digging out my old 30" shorts for the summer. Sweat, hard work, and riding my bike... again balance.
Once I get back into my seat at my work bench all day, I'll have to slow down my tea consumption.

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
These days I like my tea half sweet with lemon or more so with limes. My wife likes unsweet tea...bleh. I have switched to water more often when dining out as I enjoy food more.

 
We don't drink tea year round. As the sumer doldrums wraps up with falling leaves, we keep the coffee pot running all day through Spring. Then when it warms up enough to start mowing the yard, we will drink mostly the previous year's harvest of ciders and juices. Then when we head into the doldrums, we break out the massive tea jug again.

To each their own, but this tea cuts the heat best for me, and everyone who joins us on the back deck for pipes, cigars, and grilling seems to like it also. Bring your own beverage and tobaccos and join us. This afternoon, I have pork steaks marinating in a North Carolina tangy sauce, and a pile of apple wood and peach wood ready to fire up in the grill. Mrs. Cosmic will be handling the limas we shelled last night, and the cornbread.
Cheers to whatever cuts the heat for you!

 
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