Sweet Tea

[Alchemist]

So I am planning to make a cocktail using sweet tea at The Patterson house, in Nashville, and am going to go with Luzianne. Is using a tea that sounds so much like Louisiana here in Tennessee

a mistake?

Thanks

[bettylouski]

So I am planning to make a cocktail using sweet tea at The Patterson house, in Nashville, and am going to go with Luzianne.  Is using a tea that sounds so much like Louisiana here in Tennessee

a mistake?

Thanks

←

I prefer Red Diamond myself, and for TN it's closer to the source (Birmingham) .

[ChefPip]

I'd like to chip in on this too.  I started making Iced Tea as a kid.  Over the years I would drink tea with friends and when I tasted something exceptional I'd inquire.   One of my big break throughs was when I met an English Woman who was working at Sears

in my home town.  She explained to me about steeping tea. From the information I gathered I developed this technique I use.

 

The teas I've used are of all types.  Even brand X with black, cut black, and orange pekoe in the bags.  I'm not committed to any one brand.

 

For a two quart plastic juice container:

 

I have a small metal sauce pan I place 3 tea bags in along with a cup cool water.  The heat is turned on low and the temps come up gradually so as NOT to boil.

 

In a small mixing bowl I place 1/2 or so Cups of white cane sugar.  When the heated tea water is ready it will be drained in to make the syrup.

 

I watch the sauce pan and gently aggitate it by shaking it left and right.  Before the water would boil a creame colored foam will begin to develop in each tea bag.   The trick is not to inflate the tea bags with steam, because the water has heated to high and too quickly if that happens.   As this slowly heats this same foam will begin to build up around the edge of the sauce pan.  A "bead" as the old moonshiners would call it.  LOL

 

At this point a little bit of steam will begin to arise off the heated tea water and that is a sign it is  time to drain it into the bowl with the sugar.   Do not squeeze the tea bags,  but just allow them to drain for the most part.   These can then be discarded and they will still be wet.  The syrup can be stirred until the sugar is dissolved. 

 

In the two quart pitcher a tray of ice cubes can be loaded and cold water added till it is near the top.  This is stirred to get the water cold and then the syrup is added and stirred thouroughly.  Water can be added to top this off and stirred enough to mix it in well.  Next this goes into the refrigerator to sit for a few minutes.  If you can wait that long.

 

It can then be poured into a glass and enjoyed.    By the time I was in high school years it became my job to make the Iced Tea before meal times.  I became well known for my tea making and taught many others this method that I developed. Rarely did anyone ask for mint or lemon to go with it. 

 

I get kind of burnt out on soft drinks during the summer with the High Fructose Corn Sweetners or the even worse

diet sweetners.  So I resort to the Iced Tea.and try to keep sweet but not syrupy.

 

Just remember, if you follow my method bring the temp of the water up slowly and don't inflate the tea bags or boil the water. It will yield a smooth beverage that doesn't taste more like tea bag than tea..  You can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.  One cup of sugar is syrupy sweet.  I perfer it at the 1/2 Cup level.