Sweet Tea is My Daily Fuel. Is That a Problem?

My recipe for sweet tea is the same as everyone else's, I suppose. I have a couple of quirks that I like. but, would you really expect anything else from me? I always have my own way of doing things.

First the recipe. Plain and simple.

Sweet Tea
2 TBL loose leaf tea
3/4 Cup Sugar
about a 1/2 gallon of water (8 cups)
Lots of ice.

Boil the water in your tea kettle just to boiling. Don't let it whistle a long time. You will boil all of the air out of it. Then it will taste... flat.  Pour boiling water over the tea and let steep for 5 minutes. This  is key to getting the right flavor. After 5 minutes pour into your pitcher over the sugar so the hot water dissolves the sugar. Now I read a couple days ago that you should put in the cold water over the sugar first so that the hot water doesn't make the sugar bitter. I tried it this morning. Not sure if it makes a difference. I will have to try it and also get my dear husbands opinion before I let you know. The water will be warm enough still to make the sugar dissolve. Stir and let sit a minute or so to let all of the sugar dissolve or it will stay on the bottom of the pitcher. 

Fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water.   Done.

Now the quirks. Loose leaf tea is better because they use the leaf not the stems and twigs. The flavor is less bitter. There are lots of brands on the market. Here in California there are not many to choose from. In fact the Lipton that I use, I have to drive 30 minutes to the only Target that carries loose leaf tea.  I'm sure I could order a different brand but, I'm o.k. with this until they stop carrying this. There are fancy teas. Teavana is a store in our mall here. There is a wall of all different kinds of teas from all over the world. Just like coffee, that is fun for something different but, if you pay 12.00 and ounce are you really going to enjoy it regularly or just as a special something. I am not really excited to think about how I would react if the kids spill a little on the floor when they try to help in the kitchen. To me that kills the relaxation part of sipping a glass of tea.

I also like the organic sugar from Trader Joe's better then the regular white sugar. I don't really know why it tastes a little different but it is less likely to go bitter in the hot tea.  Really any sugar will do.
Some people like their coffee just a certain way. Others will drink any old black cup of joe. I am that way with my tea. I'm not crazy about it out. I really like it at home the best.

This is the o ld fashioned way to brew tea and a great way still. Just a little messy.  You would put the tea in the bottom of the bowl pour the water in (about 2 cups worth. Eyeball it.) Then use a strainer to pour it into the pitcher. You don't want to chew your tea. This works well. I always end up pouring in too much water and I need to get a potholder because the bowl gets hot. Why use a metal bowl. I can't remember. But, I think there is a reason. Something about the chemical reaction with the tea??? Maybe someone else knows.

Teavana brewer. 

This is my wonderful tea brewer. I love it and totally recommend using one. If you don't have a teavana, you can order it online .
Teavana Tea-diffuser
It is a little pricey. But, they do have sales and you can balance it out with the fact that your tea only costs a couple of bucks for weeks worth.
The diffuser keeps the tea in the top and you set the whole brewer on top of your pitcher and it pours out only the brewed hot tea. Leaving the wet leaves in the top. No straining. Even the kids can and do put it on the pitcher and I don't worry too much about burns this way.
Either way makes a great tea.

Here is the brewer on the pitcher. It fits nicely and then there is no worry about spilling, or getting leaves in the pitcher.

O.K. I make things more complicated sometimes. But, if there is a way to do something and it makes my life better or easier, I'm going to share it. I love this silly gadget. It makes my tea life easier. My boys can actually make tea. I watch them pour the boiling water into the brewer. That is it. Less mess. Less fuss.

This is the end result. Icey cold tea. The lemonade is for my husband. He loves Arnold Palmers. That is half lemonade and half tea. Sorry, he is born and raised in California. The cups I will tell about another day but, for now I think we are all tired of talking about making tea. Let's go drink one. Enjoy.