Southern-Style Sweet Tea
- 4 cups water, for brewing
- 8 black tea bags
- 1 pinch baking soda (optional)
- ¾–1 cups granulated sugar, up to 1 cup for very sweet tea
- 4 cups cold water
- ice, for serving
- 1 lemon, sliced, for serving (optional)
Southern-Style Sweet Tea
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Turn off the heat and add the tea bags and the pinch of baking soda.
- Let the tea steep. Longer than this and it turns bitter.
- Lift out the tea bags without squeezing them, since squeezing adds bitterness.
- Stir in the sugar until it dissolves completely.
- Pour the tea into a pitcher and stir in the 4 cups of cold water.
- Refrigerate until cold.
- Serve over plenty of ice with lemon slices.