Topic: So I had dinner last night...

[Just plain old Punisher]

New guy from work invited me over to dinner with his wife on sunday. They relocated from the offices in Virginia...and I discovered something amazing.

Sweet Tea.

Yes, it's iced tea...but its sweet. I had to ask them what this great amazing new beverage was called.

They said it was sweet tea. Duh!

I mean, this stuff is great for summer. They told me it was a southern staple. I must have more. I neglected to ask as to how you make the stuff! So...umm...you southern gents on here, how do you make sweet tea?

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Don't do it guys...............

Not till he swears off any more red neck jokes.. 


**Fed waving slip of paper with the recipe....

[Just plain old Punisher]

Bah!

Don't make me torture you with...



Submit! Give me the recipe or you'll die sweating to the oldies!!

[Ravok]

Go get some Luzianne Tea. follow the instructions on the box and add a cup of sugar per gallon.
 The key is to have it freshly brewed. Day old tea sux.

 I can't imagine NOT having sweet tea.

 How do Yankees make it?

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Ha!

Nice try. But he's already booked for three weeks at Gitmo.  

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Go get some Luzianne Tea. follow the instructions on the box and add a cup of sugar per gallon.
 The key is to have it freshly brewed. Day old tea sux.

 I can't imagine NOT having sweet tea.

 How do Yankees make it?

All right, all right............. 


5 cups water, divided
2 regular-size tea bags
Pinch baking soda
2 (1 grain each) Saccharin tablets
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups cold water
Ice cubes

Bring 3 cups water to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags and baking soda; let steep 1 minute and then remove tea bags. Add remaining 2 cups water.

In a large pitcher, add saccharin tablets and sugar. Add warm tea and stir. Add additional 3 cups cold water and stir until well mixed. Cool and serve in tall glasses over ice.

Yields 1/2 gallon.


---------------OR----------------------

Southern Sweet Tea
Copyright © 2004 by Michelle Jones, editor of BetterBudgeting.com

Having lived throughout the south for my entire life, there's one thing I can tell you for sure.  Life is just a whole lot sweeter with a cold glass of Sweet Tea.  (And even though many of us are now following low carb lifestyles, Splenda can be a lifesaver!)

*  *  *

Now it depends on how sweet you like it, but this is the way many southerners make their tea (and the way my grandmother used to make it--although she used some kind of metal ball to hold the tea leaves, and we use regular tea bags that are thankfully more common now.)

Ingredients:

8-10 tea bags, any kind you like (although I highly recommend Luzianne or Lipton Iced Tea Brew)
Small pot of water, with a lid that fits well

1 cup of sugar (We use Splenda for sugar-free tea, it's delicious!)

1 gallon-sized pitcher (or a big pickle jar)

Directions:

Add sugar to water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

It doesn't matter how much water you boil; just make sure it gets really hot and bubbly. If you remembered to put the sugar in already, you're doing great. Now get your tea bags ready so that when the water comes to a boil you can just toss them in.

As soon as you get the tea bags in, the water may act like it's about to boil over. I usually just add the tea bags in with one hand, and then take the pot off the stove with the other. That way the hot bubbles have a chance to stir the tea up a bit, getting them off to a good brewing start. 

Cover the pot and let the tea steep for as long as possible. It will be good in 20 minutes, but even better in an hour or two. Then pour the tea syrup (that's what it's actually called when made this way) into your gallon-sized pitcher and fill with water, making sure to gently squeeze the tea bags to get as much tea as possible into the water.

Well that's it, your Southern Sweet Tea is ready! Just pour into a glass (pretty canning jars are a southern favorite) filled with ice and serve. Some people will keep this in the fridge for several days, but unlike unsweetened tea, it's really only good for about 2 days.  After that, it's time to make a fresh batch! 

And yes, it's wonderful with a slice of lemon!!!

[Just plain old Punisher]

Ohhhh....thank's.

Hopefully I can make it without exploding anything.

That always seems to happen when I try and cook.

[Ravok]

 I drink a Gallon at least a day. On a real hot day more.

 I don't even know what water tastes like anymore! 

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Ohhhh....thank's.

Hopefully I can make it without exploding anything.

That always seems to happen when I try and cook.

If I hear of another tremmer in Cali............. well.   

[Villa64]

I noticed something about driving east along I10.

There is a line, beyond which you will be asked if you want sweettea.

And there is another, beyond which that's all they got.

[Ravok]

Don't use just any old tea !! use the Luziane. You will see the difference.

[J. Carney]

Here's the REAL way to make sweet tea, Pun.

Get a large pot.
Fill it with water.
Bring it to a raging boil.
Throw in tea bags.
Let it go for a bit.

Take it off the heat.
Pour it into a 1 gallon container.
Put in a LOT of sugar. (we used a little more than a cup per gallon)
Stir till sugar dissolves.
Add enough water to make it an even gallon.

[TheJudge]

Dang, y'all beat me to it...of course as a Diabetic, drinking sweet tea is NOT allowed.

A good alternative, though, is Peach Sun Tea.  Take a gallon container (clear glass or plastic that lets the sun in), fill with water and four teabags, place in sunlight for at least 2 1/2 hours on a warm day (80+).  Remove tea bags and chill.

Using Lipton's Peach Tea mix, make another gallon container following the container's direction.  Pour a glass 50/50 with the two teas and enjoy.

[Ravok]

 I cut it down to a cup per gallon  to watch my weight.  But i would rather get fat than put artificial sweetner in it.

 Thats as bad as instant grits.

[J. Carney]

Thats as bad as instant grits.

There is NOTHING as bad as instant grits, Rav. That's just blasphemy. If you're gonna do grits, you gotta do them right... and add unGodly amounts of cheese and butter.

[Ravok]

Thats as bad as instant grits.

There is NOTHING as bad as instant grits, Rav. That's just blasphemy. If you're gonna do grits, you gotta do them right... and add unGodly amounts of cheese and butter.

 I like bacon grease and cheese and butter.

 ARRRGHHHH ! MY CHEST HURTS!!!!!  Thump *

[TheJudge]

Thats as bad as instant grits.

There is NOTHING as bad as instant grits, Rav. That's just blasphemy. If you're gonna do grits, you gotta do them right... and add unGodly amounts of cheese and butter.

 I like bacon grease and cheese and butter.

 ARRRGHHHH ! MY CHEST HURTS!!!!!  Thump *

My dad's last words...right before he fell on the table, dead from a heart attack.  He splurged that day after his bypass surgery and had gravy with his mashed potatoes and bacon and some other high-cholesterol food.

[J. Carney]

Thats as bad as instant grits.

There is NOTHING as bad as instant grits, Rav. That's just blasphemy. If you're gonna do grits, you gotta do them right... and add unGodly amounts of cheese and butter.

 I like bacon grease and cheese and butter.

 ARRRGHHHH ! MY CHEST HURTS!!!!!  Thump *

OK, scratch that.

I have rememberd something worse... Southrons watch yourselves... theis is truely horrible.

The chow hall at Camp Slayer on BIAP had a DamnYankee cook when I first got there. He used to serve collard greens WITHOUT FATBACK IN THEM!!! They were just leaves boiled in water- they didn't even chop them up!. No fatback, no bacon greese, no salt, and THEY DIDN'T PUT OUT BANANA PEPPER SAUCE TO EAT WITH THEM!!!

It took us getting a Cajun angel from Louisiania to oversee the kitchen and several weeks of proper Southron food for me to recover form the shock. Of course, when she had 20 pounds of white boudain smuggled over and shared it with us, that greately aided my recovery.

[Ravok]

Thats as bad as instant grits.

There is NOTHING as bad as instant grits, Rav. That's just blasphemy. If you're gonna do grits, you gotta do them right... and add unGodly amounts of cheese and butter.

 I like bacon grease and cheese and butter.

 ARRRGHHHH ! MY CHEST HURTS!!!!!  Thump *

OK, scratch that.

I have rememberd something worse... Southrons watch yourselves... theis is truely horrible.

The chow hall at Camp Slayer on BIAP had a DamnYankee cook when I first got there. He used to serve collard greens WITHOUT FATBACK IN THEM!!! They were just leaves boiled in water- they didn't even chop them up!. No fatback, no bacon greese, no salt, and THEY DIDN'T PUT OUT BANANA PEPPER SAUCE TO EAT WITH THEM!!!

It took us getting a Cajun angel from Louisiania to oversee the kitchen and several weeks of proper Southron food for me to recover form the shock. Of course, when she had 20 pounds of white boudain smuggled over and shared it with us, that greately aided my recovery.

 Now thats just nasty  Thank goodness you finally got someone who knew how to cook.

[Grand Master of Shadows NCC37385]

Anyone that makes collards without fatback, bacon drippings, or hog jowls needs to be taken out and shot! I need bacon, ham, or livermush in my grits. I also add a couple of fried eggs when I can get them.

Sweet Tea

3 family sized tea bags
2 C. sugar
Lemon (optional-and to taste if desired)

In a small saucepan bring the tea bags and water to a boil for a few minutes. Remove from heat an let tea steep for about 10-15 minutes. Pour 2 cups of sugar into a 1 gallon container. Pour tea into container, leaving bags in saucepan. Refill saucepan with water and gently press tea bags allowing water to pass in and out. Gently squeeze tea bags to remove all tea. Pour into container. Add lemon if desired. Stir to dissolve sugar. Fill container the rest of the container with cold water.

My mom is diabetic. So she uses 48 packets of Aspartame instead of the 2 cups of sugar. She also fills the container to half before adding the sweetner. Heat kills the sweetness.