Our family loves sweet tea, especially at a party or BBQ. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the backyard and watch the kids play while I sip on an icy glass of sweet tea. I thought it was about time I shared my Perfect Sweet Tea Recipe.
This sweet tea is the perfect balance of flavors, and a pinch of baking soda gives it an ultra smooth finish. Baking soda is the secret ingredient that makes this sweet tea recipe so good!
Perfect Sweet Tea Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
The perfect recipe for ultra smooth sweet tea.
Course:
Drink
Ingredients
- 10 regular sized Lipton tea bags
- Fresh filtered water
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions
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Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and add tea bags.
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Let tea steep for about 10 minutes.
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Remove tea bags and add sugar to hot water.
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Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
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Add baking soda and stir again.
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Pour tea and sugar mixture into large pitcher.
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Add 12 cups of ice water and stir until cooled.
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Serve over ice.
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Makes one gallon of sweet tea.
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brittany
March 31, 2013 at 9:34 pmWhat does the baking soda do??
Melissa
April 4, 2013 at 8:21 amHi Brittany!
It cuts the acidity of the tea and makes it taste very smooth!
Jessica
February 16, 2019 at 4:24 pmTakes the bitter taste out….I tried it for the first time and oh my word it was great!!
Alyssa Rivers
April 3, 2013 at 12:59 pmThis looks so refreshing! Great for a warm day like today! Pinned!
Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon
April 4, 2013 at 8:17 amAh..the perfect summertime drink Melissa! Thanks for sharing!
Sam M. | Atkinson Drive
April 5, 2013 at 8:49 pmThis looks delicious! I would love for you to join the Pinworthy Projects link party! http://www.atkinsondrive.com/pinworthy-projects-party-week-14/
Jenn
April 6, 2013 at 9:25 amI’ve never tried sweet tea but I will have to give this a whirl! 😉
Gina
May 10, 2013 at 8:02 pmOh my goodness, nothing screams “I’m not from the South” like saying that you’ve never tried sweet tea!!! haha. Hope you fall in love with it and you’ll soon be saying “ya’ll” to everyone.
Kara
April 9, 2013 at 9:55 amI love summer drinks! This is a great take on sweet tea. I also tried this summer drink recipe I saw on Pinterest and loved it, too.
http://www.funnytummycafe.com/2013/04/01/orange-julius-sunshine-in-a-glass/
Mary Ann
May 6, 2013 at 7:48 amIf you want perfect ice tea don’t ever use Lipton. It’s bitter and has a bad after taste. Always use Luzianne.
Mary Ann
May 6, 2013 at 7:54 amOh and with Lizianne you don’t need baking soda. It’s already smooth.
Sylvia
July 14, 2013 at 8:33 amYou took the words right out of my mouth Mary Ann! Luzianne makes a great tasting tea. I
whittney
May 25, 2013 at 12:08 pmWhat about the family sized tea bags, how many would I use?
Melissa
May 28, 2013 at 9:55 amI would start with 5 and adjust from there.
Ri
July 19, 2013 at 1:16 pmDoes it matter what kind of Lipton tea I use?
Julie
July 20, 2013 at 8:12 amAs soon as I saw “secret ingredient” I had to check out the recipe. My family has been putting a pinch of baking soda in tea forever. It really does help make the tea smooth. We always simmered the tea in stead of letting it just sit but I’m gonna give your way a try just to see if there is a difference. Thanks for the recipe!!
Melissa
July 22, 2013 at 7:42 amThat’s interesting! Thank you for sharing! :0)
Patricia
August 2, 2013 at 9:38 pmYou can skip the baking soda by using Luzianne brand tea, It stays clear.
Kimbery
October 30, 2013 at 6:40 pmThis is the PERFECT sweet tea recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Shannon Parker
March 23, 2014 at 9:53 amHave to agree… Luzianne is the way to go! It is definitely the best! 🙂
Debbie
March 25, 2015 at 12:56 pmWell all i have is Great Value brand ice tea brew bags.Guess i leat you’ll know.
Kim
May 8, 2014 at 11:34 pmHow many tea bags for the gallon sized bags?
Bonnie
January 10, 2015 at 6:38 pmI love tea can’t wait to try this, I’ve only known one person who could make the best tea I’ve ever drank. I’m from Texas City Tx it’s good to read you lived here also.
Beth Nelligan
June 14, 2015 at 12:54 pmJust wondering why the baking soda? any benefits from that?
Ginny
January 29, 2016 at 10:53 amOkay, sounds good, but do I have to use filtered water?