The Perfect Glass of Iced Tea
Iced tea is very serious business to Southerners. Our tea is very dear to our hearts.
The English have nothing on us in the tea department. We drink as much or more tea than our forefathers.
Southerners drink Iced Tea in hot weather and cold. During the 1993 blizzard our power went out and we ran a generator on our deck. Much to the shattered peace of our neighbors.
We had to get our priorities straight. We ran a lamp, the TV and a popcorn popper. So we weathered the blizzard eating popcorn, drinking iced tea and watching reruns of I Love Lucy.
Now for my secret formula for the perfect glass of iced tea!!!
Start with very cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Place teabags into the water and remove from heat. Let steep anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. Remove teabags and add sugar. Pour into a two quart pitcher and fill the rest of the way with cold water. Sweet Tea must be kept refrigerated at all times! Pour tea over a full glass of ice. Two or three cubes just won't do!
All of this may seem overly simple, but to make a great pitcher of Iced Tea is an art. Don't even bother making Iced Tea if you don't make it Sweet Tea! Fresh mint may be added to each glass and lemon if you absolutely insist.
Now the secret is out. But, I just couldn't keep it to myself any longer. ;)
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