Saturday, July 3, 2010

I need your help ladies and gentlemen

We used to keep the boat in Florida, and there were many many wonderful things about the chance to spend time in inland Florida...a fantastic place.  We made good friends, we ate fantastic Mexican food, we saw lots of cows and oranges, and we got hot hot hot hot hot.

The boat yard had a machine with cheap pop....my kids still closely associate boatyards, heat and Florida with root beer.  Me too.

What I really loved though, really really loved....

Sweet tea.

Ya know what though, I come from the wrong part of the world to make it right.  We have iced tea and all, but it is soooo not the same....

so folks, it's getting hot here, and I'm craving me some sweet tea....

really, gotta get me some, 

so those of you who know how...

help me out, please... a recipe!

Pleeeeaasse!

15 comments:

oreneta said...

whoa mom, your blog's getting boring. ;)
xoxo
eldest

Anonymous said...

Sweet tea..... Got it at mcds in the USA ;-)

J.G. said...

Gosh, my Yankee roots are showing. Isn't it just good quality tea (not fancy) and lots of sugar? And it has to be fresh, because tea gets bitter when you try to keep it.

Boo and Trev said...

I assume there is something more to this then making a cup of tea and adding sugar? Is this some awful thing North Americans insist on doing to a decent cuppa?

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

Wish I could help you out here. I don't think I've ever had sweet tea. Although I do love me some Iced Tea. Make my own in the fridge with a combination of black and gunpowder green. Always have some on hand, I drink it winter, spring and summer. But I don't add anything sweet so.....

oreneta said...

Sorry Eldest, love you too!!

Anon....no!

JG, that's a good start....

Boo and Trev, I am not sure about the awfulness and a good cuppa, cause it is very good indeed, especially in the summer climate in the southern US, but it ain't much like what the Queen usually drinks if that's what you mean. It is very tasty, very sweet, very long and cold and not tanin-y, which is the tricky part.

Bodhi, I haven't had anything quite like sweet tea up here, though I have had plenty of iced tea, somehow it isn't quite the same.

I may have to resort to recipes, wonder if there is a magazine like Southern Living that'd have a recipe...

Vancouver Isle Doug said...

How about this ?

Paula Deen's Sweet Tea

7 tea bags

1 cup sugar

mint springs

lemon wedges

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a kettle. Add the 4 tea bags and turn off the heat immediately.

Place the lid on the kettle and allow the tea to steep for 1 hour. Remove the tea bags and pour the tea into a pitcher. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Add 4 cups water. Serve over ice with a spring of mint and a lemon wedge.

Makes 2 quarts, about 10 servings.

Anonymous said...

Just go get some bubble tea :)

oreneta said...

DOUG! YOU ARE A DREAM!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!

ElP, now there is another good solution....gonna have to go get me some....I'm driving by your old apartment nearly every day lately....small odd world, no?

Trish said...

I lived in NC for 11 years and boy do they know their ice tea!

So far I've been able to recreate it here in Canada with some success by pouring 8 cups of boiling water onto 6 large Red Rose tea bags. Steep for no more than 1 minute (I usually only steep for 45 seconds - I use a timer for this because it is so important not to oversteep or it will be bitter). This way I can drink it unsweetened and it's delicious and refreshing! Or you can add sugar and lemon to taste. The quick steep gives you a good base without bitterness.

Good luck and stay cool!

oreneta said...

Trish!! Another one...wonderful...I'm going to make some tonight.

Joy said...

A tip from somewhere that I use - add a pinch of baking soda to the initial boiling water over tea bags... Gets rid of the bitter flavour. And I find the red tea (roibos) makes a very lovely sweet tea. :)

Shelia said...

I'm from Texas, and we just brew Lipton tea bags in water on the stovetop and then we add two cups of sugar to a LARGE pitcher. Nowadays, I'd add sugar to taste, but that's how we did it as kids. I like the above Paula Deen recipe. You can't go wrong with Paula!

Terrie said...

I'm hurt you could of just asked! Go buy you some Lipton or Luzzianne tea bags. The family size ones. Find an old pot and add about 6 cups of water and 4 bags bring it to a boil and turn it off dump it in a gallon size jug and add 1 to 2 cups of suger, used to be 2 now I'm down to 1, and enough ice and water to fill the jug. YUMMY

oreneta said...

Joy! Hmmm, that's a good tip, I'll give it a go, an I bet the roibos would make very pretty tea too....thanks for joining in!

Sheila, OK. Paula's looks good...I am going to have to find a large enough pitcher.....

Terrie..I did ask! And you answered, I was hoping you'd pipe up, cause I know you know how.....Mmmmmm.....

Going to have to make some tomorrow...