Iced Tea: To Sweet or Not to Sweet

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Southerners drink iced tea all year-round, and that's the way it's been since ice became easily available.

In 1904, Richard Blechynden introduced iced tea to the general public when he served it as a thirst quencher at the St. Louis World's Fair.

Do you like your iced tea sweet or unsweet?

I like it with just a hint of sweetness. Darling Hubby likes his sweet. Our daughter likes it completely unsweetened.

I satisfy all the range of tastes from sweet to unsweet with a simple trick. No, I don't make 2 or 3 pitchers of iced tea. I make one, and I always keep a bottle of sugar syrup in the fridge for those who want sweet tea.

How To Make Iced Tea

Boil a 3-4 quarts of water.

Place 3-4 Lipton (or whatever) tea bags (depends on how strong you like your tea) in a sturdy pitcher that won't shatter when boiling water is poured in or in a stainless steel pot.

Let steep for 20 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out the tea in them. Chill as you usually do.

Now comes the magic.

Sugar Syrup

In a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups of water over low heat., whisk in 1 1/4 cups of sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. When it has thickened a bit, turn the heat off, and let it cool. Then pour into a bottle or jar, something with a lid, and refrigerate it.

The sugar syrup should be clear. If you cook it until it's really thick, it will be slightly amber. This won't affect the taste. It's just more concentrated that way. The easier way to make it more concentrated is to use an equal amount of water and sugar. Just make sure to stir it so sugar dissolves completely.

Takeaway Truth

Tea doesn't have to be green tea to be good for you. The kind of tea used by Lipton and Luzianne, et al, is black tea, and it's high in antioxidants and bioflavonoids. It's smart to control the amount of sugar you put in iced tea. Using Sugar Syrup to give a touch of sweetness is a good idea.