Seeds 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 — so there's nothing hidden, nothing complicated, and nothing to second-guess. The method matters here: steeping the bags without squeezing them keeps the brew smooth and mellow rather than bitter, and dissolving the sugar into the hot concentrate means every sip is evenly sweet from top to bottom. Once it's chilled and poured over a glass packed with ice, it's genuinely refreshing in a way that store-bought versions rarely match. A squeeze of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint takes it from simple to stunning without any extra effort. It's the kind of recipe you'll make once and then find yourself returning to all summer long.
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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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