A2JGirl wrote:
I microwave 2 cups of water in a glass measuring cup 'til it's boiling, then add 12 tea bags (I use whatever brand is $1 for 100 tea bags at Wal-Mart- I don't think it has much to do with the brand) and let it steep for 10 minutes or so. Empty it into a gallon container, add 1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar, shake or stir to mostly dissolve the sugar. Fill the rest of the way with water and shake or stir.
I like my tea SWEET (My mom grew up in GA) so you could change that to taste.
Let me know if you try it and what the verdict is! I won't be offended if you don't like it.
If you are going to drink this why go to all the bother, just get a bottle of this:
It is virtually the same thing minus the brown color.
microwave 2 cups of water in a glass measuring cup 'til it's boiling,
This is your first mistake, tea has an affinity for cold water. This is why "sun tea" is generally better tasting than tea brewed in the traditional manner. The colder the water the better. You can actually brew tea, in the same manner as "sun tea" in your refrigerator. NEVER BOIL THE WATER!
then add 12 tea bags (I use whatever brand is $1 for 100 tea bags at Wal-Mart- I don't think it has much to do with the brand)
Two huge mistakes here. First you are using 1/3 more tea than you need to. Second, you get what you pay for, cheap teas are inferior teas or floor sweepings.
and let it steep for 10 minutes or so.
Never brew tea with a timer, watch the tea as it steeps and go by the color. It should have good color without being cloudy.
Empty it into a gallon container, add 1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar, shake or stir to mostly dissolve the sugar. Fill the rest of the way with water and shake or stir.
You should have started with the gallon of water to begin with. Adding that much sugar only results in syrup, not tea. For any given volume of water there is only so much sugar that can be dissolved in it, the rest only forms a sandbar on the bottom.
To make tea properly:
1. In a one gallon glass container, plastic can effect the taste of tea, start with one gallon of distilled water. Keep the water temperature as low as possible, in other words do not boil.
2. Use 8 small tea bags of good quality tea. I personally feel that I want to ingest the best that I can afford, be it food or beverage.
3. Steep only until the tea has good color without cloudiness.
4. Do not add sugar, allow each person to add sugar to their taste.
If the tea is bitter, you have made a mistake somewhere in the process. You have either used a poor quality tea, steeped it to long, or both.
I think that you will be pleasantly surprised.
TW
I just don't like unsweetened tea that I have to add sugar or sweetner to in my own glass. Pouring hot tea over the sugar, or sugar into the hot tea, evens it out just right. That's the difference between sweet tea and sweetened tea. I like sweet tea.
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