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Home > Wendy Does Waco > Archives > 2008 > July > 09 > Entry
God, family and good sweet tea
I was 12 the first time I ever tasted sweet tea. I was in the single wide trailer of a friend name Christy on the edge of Greer, SC.
I had had tea before, sure. My dad would set the jar of sun tea out on the patio table in SA, and like some science project I would marvel at how, just sitting there, the liquid would become this aromatic amber mixture that my parents liked to drink with lemon.
Christy’s tea, on a barefoot, dusty, hot Carolina day, sounded like a good idea. And it looked like tea. But I nearly spewed it across the room when I began to gulp down the sugar/water concoction. Christy’s tea was roughly six degrees of separation from the tea part.
As my Carolina education continued, I grew to love sweet tea. (I also earned the nickname “Red” from Christy’s family, learned where to sit in the main room so that the air from the AC unit hit you and added both grits and greens to my diet)
Back in the 80s, I had a hard time finding sweet tea at Texas restaurants( I had no idea how to make it like Southern folk and still don’t). Luckily, times have changed, and it’s much easier to find that red/gold nectar. And some days, like yesterday, good sweet tea is like a grandma’s hand on your back — it doesn’t fix everything, but it can infuse a bad day with an ounce of comfort.
McAlister’s is a good choice, everybody knows that. And Bush’s tea is the closest to Christy’s. Bottled Sweet Leaf is good in a pinch. Weirdly enough, my fav is the sweet tea at Rosa’s with a big slice of lime in it. Actually, I’m trying to ween off the sugar, so these days, I tend to go half sweet, half un, and no one ever seems to have a problem when I order it that way.
The tropical iced tea at Simply Good at The Shops is a good un and the iced green tea (un) at Starbucks is another favorite. Any tea stops I’m missing???
Comments
By TJ
July 9, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
I love the lightly Jasmine/fruit flavored iced tea at The Clay Pot, (ClayPotCuisine.com). And for $2 a pot, you can try about a half-dozen flavorful hot teas as well. Yummy for the tummy, and as herbalicious as the fabulous Pho.
By Jodi
July 9, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
My vote is for Bush’s. I think I had sweet tea in my bottle. I’m actually shocked when I go somewhere and they don’t have pre-sweetened ice tea. I just expect it. There used to be a law on the books in South Carolina (I think I have the state right) that restaurants had to serve both sweet and unsweet tea. I like that law. Texas needs one, too. We’ve got enough other laws. Heck, we might as well add it to our too-long state constitution. (>: And for those who don’t understand the need for pre-sweetened tea, it’s actually simple. Sugar should be added to tea while it’s hot. That way it dissolves efficiently. If you add sugar after the tea is room temperature or cold, it just doesn’t taste the same.
By Beau Bailey
July 9, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this
Well a gallon of Red Diamond Sweet Tea is the best you can buy at the grocery store. The secret to making your own is adding the sugar to the boiling water! Heated water can disolve more sugar than cold, so you have to sweeten it before it cools or while it is boiling. I use Lipton, and of course you have to sweeten to taste, try a couple of batches and decide what you like.
By mark
July 9, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this
Okay, for a fourth generation Texan to be asking this might seem a little strange, but how do you folks make your tea? How many bags? What size? Steeping time. Etc… Oh, and I never learned to two step either. I got some funky genetics for sure!
By Beth
July 10, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this
Wendy, I agree with TJ. The tea at Clay Pot can’t be beat! So light and refreshing. And when you’re ready for hot tea, you’ve gotta try the Ginger tea. To die for! Especially with cup of the incredible Pho.
btw… Mark, don’t feel bad. I’ve lived in Texas almost my whole life, and I still have to read the directions on the side of the box of tea. I just usually steep it a minute or two longer than what it says, though.
By michael
July 10, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Here’s the step by step. 1) Make simple syrup Put 3/4 Cup water in a small saucepan. Add 1 Cup sugar. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir it every once in a while. Now you have a sweetener that WILL dissolve in cold tea and you can sweeten to taste. The syrup will keep for months in the refrigerator. 2) Use a gallon of spring water NOT the nasty stuff out of the tap. Pour about a quart of the spring water into a saucepan, cover it and bring it to a boil. Take the boiling water off of the burner, add the tea bags, replace the lid, and allow the tea to steep for 15-minutes. How much tea? Lipton and other brands offer tea bags that make a quart each, so if you want to make a gallon use four bags. 3) After steeping use a funnel to pour the tea back into the jug of springwater. 4) Don’t use ice that’s made from Waco tap water. 5) Sweeten to taste with simple syrup and serve with lemon slices and fresh mint if desired.
By Buzz Aldrin
July 10, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
Here’s a quick and easy tea recipe: Fill one large glass with ice. Pour in bourbon until 3/4 full. Wait 2 minutes, stir and drink.
It ain’t REALLY tea, but it looks like it to the average bystander.
By Amylou
July 10, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
If I remember correctly, Linda used to make that sweet tea using 4 of the family sized tea bags and about 4-5 cups of sugar per gallon. I remember I used to pour only half a glass and fill the rest up with water, it was so sweet and syrupy. Remind me when I’m there in a few weeks and I’ll hook you up. I make some pretty good sweet tea.
See you soon Wiener :-)
By Hal
July 10, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
Clay Pot uses the Mighty Leaf tea brand, and I believe it is the Mint Melange flavor. They might have it at HEB, but I usually buy mine at Whole Foods in Austin.
By Jodi
July 10, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
OK. I use a regular tea pitcher. I fill a small saucepan with water (from the tap is what I use, but I live in Hewitt) and bring the water to a boil. Then I remove the pan from the hot burner to a cool burner. I put 2 family-size Lipton tea bags in the hot water. Then I put a lid on top of the pan and leave just a little space for steam to escape. While the tea in the saucepan is steeping, I put 2 cups of sugar in my tea pitcher. After the tea has cooled to warm, but not blistering hot, I pour it over the sugar in the pitcher. Then I run tap water into the pitcher until it is almost full, stiring as the water rises. Now I set my tea to the side. I let it cool. Then I put it into the fridge. Perfect sweet tea everytime.
By karen
July 10, 2008 6:59 PM | Link to this
here is another recipe for sweet tea. we always used two family size tea bags of either lipton or luzianne tea. i put about 3-4 cups of water in a microwave safe measuring cup. i put the tea bags in the water and microwaved about 4 or 5 minutes just up to the boiling point. i let it sit for a few minutes and then poured it in a pitcher filled with ice and 1 cup of sugar. be careful not to crack your pitcher. the trick to making good sweet tea pouring the hot tea over the ice/sugar mixture. this way you don’t need as much sugar and the sugar is basically melted. for family outings we always used an enormous metal pitcher. it must have been from an army surplus store. LOL
By gypsy soul
July 11, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this
o look, i take two lipton family size tea bags and but them in a good size bowl filled with water and put it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Then pour that water into a gallon pitcher and remember to get all you can out of the teabags. While that is relly hot add two cups of suger and mix then fill the pitcher up. People think i brewed it for hours!
By Acai Research
August 27, 2008 1:24 AM | Link to this
Nice bog you have here. I pretty much lurk the internet when I’m bored and read all I can about the organic lifestyle, but I really liked you view on things. I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!