Celery Free Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Few drinks capture the spirit of a long, lazy afternoon quite like a tall glass of sweet iced tea. This classic Southern version is built on just three pantry staples — water, black tea bags, and sugar — making it naturally free of the hidden vegetable-based additives or flavoring blends that can sometimes sneak into store-bought bottled teas. The method is straightforward: steep, sweeten while hot so the sugar dissolves completely, then dilute and chill. Skipping the squeeze on the tea bags is a small but smart move that keeps the flavor smooth and mellow rather than bitter. Once it's cold, pour it over a mountain of ice and finish with a lemon slice or a sprig of fresh mint for that picture-perfect Southern touch. It's refreshing, crowd-pleasing, and endlessly easy to scale up for a pitcher or a party.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 8 cup water
- 6 black tea bags (family-size or regular)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a full boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags without squeezing them — squeezing releases bitter tannins.
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