Sweet Tea

 As a child of the 80's, we drank our fair share of iced tea made from powder.  I think the big canister we always had on hand held at least a gallon of that sugar-y stuff!

It wasn't until my adulthood that I had real homemade sweet tea made from tea leaves.  And wow, so delicious!

Over time, we've perfected our own sweet tea recipe made with loose leaf black assam tea.  It's the perfect summer drink for hot days, but honestly, we almost always have a mason jar full of sweet tea in the fridge all year round!

You can adjust the sweetener - both in the choice of sweetener and in the amount that you use.  The lemon juice is optional - I love the citrus kick it gives but my kids are happy for me to skip it!

Farmhouse Sweet Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons black tea
• 1/2 cup sugar, honey, or maple syrup (1/4 to 3/4 cup, adjust to your taste)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, optional
• 4 cups boiling water
• 4 cups cold water

Instructions:

In a 2 litre/quart glass, heat-resistant pitcher or jar, add the black tea, sugar, and lemon juice.

Add 4 cups boiling water to the container.  Stir to mix the ingredients and dissolve the sweetener.

Leave to steep for 20 minutes.  Using a small metal strainer, pour the tea mixture into a second 2 litre/quart jar.  Add cold water and chill in the fridge for an hour or two until cold enough to serve. 

Add lots of ice cubes & a metal straw & enjoy!