“Way up yonder past the caution light
There’s a little country home with a porch outside
You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea..”
♥
“Sittin’ right there on her front porch swing
she’ll fetch you a jar of her Sweet Iced Tea
and you’ll think “This could be love..”
♥
This iced tea is for Rednecks, Cowgirls… and pretty much anyone caught sittin’ in an old Ford flatbed truck n’ a cloud of dust.. eatin’ turnip greens.
Miss Katie (our Sweet Miss Bell) says you should add more or less lemon as you see fit and as much sugar as you might need to sweetin’ you on up…
Miss Bell’s Sweet Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 6 orange pekoe tea bags
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar, to taste
- 6 cups cold water
- 1-2 lemons, to taste
Instructions
- Boil up 2 cups of water and pour that into a heat-safe pitcher or jug.
- Stir in the pinch of baking soda.
- Add the six tea bags and set aside with a tea towel draped over top.
- Allow this mixture to steep for 15 minutes or longer if you wish for a stronger iced tea.
- Remove tea bags, squeezing each one to extract the rest of the tea.
- Stir in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time and stir to dissolve. Add more or less sugar to taste.
- Pour in 6 cups cold water.
- Allow this to cool in the fridge (or to serve immediately pour over ice).
- Squeeze half a lemon into the pitcher before serving.
- Use the other half of the lemon to garnish the glass or squeeze extra lemon into individual glasses to taste.
- Adapted from All Recipes
(original lyrics from “Good Directions”, Billy Currington)
Swooning! You’ve got a couple of my fave things going on here – sweet tea in a mason jar (only legit way to drink it), sitting in the back of a truck, and turnip greens! xoxo
Hahaha.. check out Billy Currington’s “Good Directions”.. you’ll love that song!!!
What a very pretty dress!
Thanks!!
Baking soda’s a new ingredient on me – does it change the taste or make it keep longer?
It’s used a ton in baking for raising things.. but in this instance, it’s used to smooth out the bitterness of tea that’s been brewed so strongly 🙂
Thanks and sorry, it was in tea as an ingredient that I meant. Very interesting 😉
😀
Perfect way to beat the heat wave that’s been pounding everyone! And now I want to go shopping for a white eyelet summer dress 🙂
It’s my daughter’s dress.. cute as a button:)
Gorgeous photos!
🙂 Mandy
Thanks xo
Baking soda is the first time I have seen it used in a tea. Very interesting. Love that pretty white dress.
It’s found in a few Sweet Tea recipes.. as I said above, to smooth out the tannins, but not always necessary, depending on the tea you use:)
Love the photos! I will have to try this recipe with the orange pekoe! Today looks more like a hot chocolate day. Our hot dry weather has been replaced with overcast skies and RAIN! Love it!
Hot chocolate!! Hard to believe.. from such intense heat to a hot chocolate day! That must be a relief!!
I just read that our Governor Hickenlooper lifted the fire ban. I tweeted it and Hickenlooper retweeted! Hahaha!
I love how you have told a story with this post! And the photograph tells it’s own story. I love iced tea, and I am so lazy that I buy those sachets of instant iced tea powder. *guilty*
Thank you.. I love the “writing part” of blogging, that’s for sure!! And those sachets.. they are perfectly acceptable I think!! 😀
Nah…not when the real stuff looks so good! And it isn’t even that hard to make!
My sister-in-law lives in Tennessee. She taught me how to say it proper … it goes somethin’ lack this:
swee taay – “taay” bein’ one of them dangest longest sylbles you ever heared. (very fun to say so I says it ever chance i get. Now, thanks to you, I gots to make me some.) And Smidge, I do love your dress and I can see you ridin’ your bike wearin’ it. I’d very much like to kopy that! xoxoxo
Waaaayyylll spraaay… I think yaaall have got the raaight accent.. Hahahaha.. I wish I had an accent, the southern drawl is so sweet.. just like you spree:) xoxoxo ps I miss you!!
Aieee! Keep that baking soda out of the tea! I’ll bet it got in there because in days gone by someone was using soda to sweeten the container (it works in thermoses that have been used to hold milk). Squeezing the tea bags is what will make your tea bitter, wringing all of the tannins from the powdered tea leaves. Sorry for ranting — I can see that I’m going to have to prepare a post on iced tea soon…. Hint: I use simple syrup and serve it in a pitcher alongside the cold tea — it dissolves better than granulated sugar and each person can sweeten her own glass to her liking.
I liked the baking soda addition, check out this wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_tea
As I’m sure you know, baking soda is used often to reduce acidity.. it would soften both the tannins and the lemon used. I actually wrote this recipe down, just as my daughter described it to me.. these are her words… and I suspect she “squeezed” the tea bags in order to be frugal… I assure you she doesn’t “wring” anything (except possibly a few necks). I think there’s more than one recipe for Iced Tea and certainly more than one store-bought version.. and after today, I might just have to make a Long Island Iced Tea, lol! Are you from the South? It would be interesting to see a true “Southern Iced Tea”.. but if you post a recipe, just make sure you call it a “KopyKat” Iced Tea recipe 😉
No, I am most definitely not from the South. I am California born and bred with MidWestern parents (although my mother was born in Canada — Culross, Manitoba).
Yes, this white lace dress hit me too… so beautiful…. Thank you dear Barbara, it was also so interesting post about tea… Love, nia
Thank you nia.. it’s such a pretty dress!
Great Photos – love ice tea, especially on a hot day:) Happy Monday!
Gorgeous – perfect for this heat! And I love the white lace 🙂
The baking soda is an interesting addition, I hadn’t heard of it before. What a lovely dress Miss Katie has one. Stay cool!
Love iced tea – you’ve gotta make it though… none of this “ready made” junk… that stuff is just wrong. Tastes more like a weird juice. You just don’t get the right flavour like you can with the good home-made one!
Hahaha.. you’re right.. it’s so processed in a tin!!
Oh, boy, does that sound refreshing – and we’ve finally got the weather for it – yay!
Sounds lovely. Now if only summer would arrive here!
I love Lipton iced tea but yours beats it out the door in no time my friend. – absolutely delicious and stunning photography as always 🙂
Cheers
CCU
I’ve never heard of the soda addition—very interesting! This Southerner’s Southern grandmother used a lot more sugar. I love the memory of it, but never have the nerve to put in near the amount she did.
We’re so much more aware of our sugar intake these days, sigh, wish I’d been born back then:D
That would be so refreshing during the heat of summer. Interesting to add a pinch of baking soda – that’s something new! Hope you’re surviving the hot weather Smidge xx
We have been doing fine.. some nights are a bit hot.. but ok nonetheless! xx
This is interesting, I’ll check out the explanation on the baking soda. We don’t use it, but we don’t add lemon either. I do like to add mint. Also, we drink ours unsweetened because we drink it like water and we’d be out of sugar in no time. One of the restaurants in town uses simple syrup like Kale Chronicles does. That’s great if you want people to be able to sweeten their own. We’re not Southern, but when Katherine, who has Southern parents, saw me make sun tea, she made me learn to boil water! Her grandma used so much sugar, it wouldn’t dissolve and she added it hot!
Not to mention the calories:) I’d like to make this again with mint, it seems to be a popular addition. With the heat we’ve been having I need to keep a sugar-free jug in my fridge at all times for provisions, lol! I would love to see you sun tea.. is it on your blog??
Another fun and lovely post! Sounds refreshing for a hot summer day, especially if you’ve been out racing chuckwagons and the like.
I’ve never been a big fan of sweet tea, but Mike loves it. I did try it again recently and I didn’t cringe this time. So there may be home for me yet. 😉 Beautiful post as always Smidge.
I never did acquire a taste for tea unless it was loaded with sugar. And I feel the same way about iced coffee. I know, Barb, I’m a finicky guy. I know what I do like, though, and it’s that pretty dress you’re wearing in the photos. When wearing it, I bet you look like Summer personified. How could you not? Even though I may not especially care for it, this post and pictures were a wonderful ode to sweet tea.
Tut, tut.. you don’t know what you’re missing;) Btw.. this is my daughter in the dress.. and she was Summer personified. (I might just have to borrow it today! Shhhh!)
Tea is the cure for all ailments in my household ! Interesting tip on the baking soda – I’ll have to give it a try next time, although lately I am preparing tea the other way around where I use water at around 70-80C and let it steep for longer. It brings out a completely different flavour to the tea – especially for green.
My friend Misky made a Sun Tea today! A Green tea would be lovely!!
You’ve just given me a great addition to a baby shower brunch I’m hosting in August. I think I want the Mason jars, too! I’ve enjoyed reading all the previous comments and we are very particular in our tea tastes, aren’t we? 🙂 I will give this recipe a hearty try. I love sweet tea, and usually don’t drink it sweet just to avoid the sugar, but give me a special occasion and I’ll be glad to indulge! Beautiful photos! Debra
Oh.. A baby shower, just think of the pretty straws you could buy.. Pink and/or blue.. Then tying the jars with little ribbons or string.. Such fun!! We are all particular with tea.. Just as we are with our coffees (insert: grande, non-fat, extra-hot, light foam latte).. And that’s what makes blogging so interesting. I learn so much every time someone comments. I think avoiding sugar would be a good thing. I had a roibus (sp?) iced tea today and it was interesting, but I’m not really sold on that flavor! Xo Smidge
I know that it’s summer, and I know that the sun should be shining, and if it ever does that here in drippy England than I’m going to make a jug of sun tea. I find the long brewing process of sun tea solves the tannin problem — it’s very smooth.
Oh, dear.. We were drippy for ages and suddenly now were positively frying like the rest of the country. I hope you make some sun tea, I’ve been looking for a recipe for that one! xo
I’m not sure there’s a ‘real’ recipe for sun tea. I just use a quart jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill it with cold water. Now gently set 4 tea bags into the water, close the cap tightly, and set the jar in the sunshine. Check it for strength and flavour after an hour. I usually leave it in the sun for 2-3 hours so it’s good and strong. Then refrigerate, and serve over lots of ice. Maybe I should do a blog post on it, eh?
Please do:D
Done! Pop over to http://miskcooks.com/2012/07/11/how-to-make-sun-tea/ and tell me what you think. 😀
I never knew of sweet tea until I was working in a restaurant and some people on vacation from Georgia came in and all of them ordered “sweet tea.” I just assumed they meant iced tea so that is what I brought them and they were disgusted. They COULD NOT believe that we didn’t have sweet tea. I have since lived in Texas and become very familiar with it. This sounds delicious!
Hahaha.. I had a roibus iced tea without the sweetener.. it’s a little tougher to get used to!
I could use a whole pitcher of that today to survive our 100 degree F. temps today. This looks so perfectly refreshing! Must have.
We’ve had the same crazy hot weather.. The cold has moved out for good and we are stifling in the heat. This did the trick!
I ain’t from the South, but that there iced tea looks like something awwwwwfully good!
Well, gosh darn, we Canadians can do an awfully good Sawthern accent!!
I had my first iced tea just recently – made sweet iced Earl Grey. Added mint and gin. It was Royal Tea for the Jubilee – not that we were celebrating, but if one needs a reason… 😉
One surely wouldn’t need a reason:D this sounds fabulous!
Girrrrrrl! You read my mind, I know you do 🙂 I have recently converted from a coffee girl to a tea girl (not for any other reason than I love it more than coffee) and have been collecting different tea ideas. This is just perfect Smidge!! I could hug you for this 🙂 I’m going for the pekoe tea ASAP! Thank you so much!
Ah, Sarah, great minds think alike, you know they do. I would love to see your tea recipes!! I’m always on the search for new beverages that would cool us down. Yes, we have incredibly hot weather now. Really cold.. Then really hot. Crazy, isn’t it??!! xo
I am from the deep south (Alabama), though you’d never know it since I like my tea unsweetened as an adult, but I do believe that sweet tea as we know it traditionally down here is just orange pekoe (Lipton is the tried and true) teabags and boiling hot water, steeped as you said, to which you add your sugar and dissolve it (traditionally a syrup is not used), then cool it a bit at room temp and then pour over ice with maybe some added lemon or mint…or both if you prefer…that’s the way most folks I know made it. I’m intrigued by the use of the baking soda…and in the end, how one takes one’s tea is a very personal choice, I think! 😉 I love the second photo with Miss Bell and her mason jar of tea…that’s sweet tea to a “T” in my book.
Aha!! I knew I’d find a real Southern Belle to answer the Iced Tea question that’s been bantered about above! I reckon your orange pekoe and boiling water with sugar sounds about right. Definitely the baking soda and lemon would be extras, if one were to make it in true Southern Style:D My daughter always surprises me with these little drinks.. Without her my “Beverages” section would be quite sparse! Xo Smidge
My ex husband would never drink sweet tea from anything other than a mason jar. I live in Australia now but iced tea is always in the fridge. No mason jars though. 🙂
I bought mason jars out at the lake for margaritas! Thus, the jam jar here at home seemed the most auspicious vessel for her iced tea:D
wow, i have never made iced tea, maybe i should! c
Definitely could go for some sweet tea in this heat!
I’d love to sip on this tea while sitting on a big front porch enjoying a warm summer night. Ahhhhh summer.
*sigh*
Ditto on the baking soda… Interesting. Ive been making loads of ice tea with green, ginger,peppermint and a little honey and lemon.
It’s our summer drink 🙂
Oh… green, ginger, peppermint.. I hope you post!! xx
I love the photos. Ahhh summer.
Love ice tea … but it never taste good when I done it – this looks like it would work for me. I have just used hot water, teabags and sugar.
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