Sweet tea

[SweetGigi]

My grandmother taught me to make sweetened tea with honey- not sugar. I can drink it either way, though. It really is just a personal preference.

My suggestion is instead of using the cane sugar you can substitute it with honey. You should experiment with the amount, though, so that you don't make it too sweet. Des and I were talking about teas over brunch that Sunday and we agreed that making sweetened iced tea with Earl Grey tea or Lavender infused tea is amazing. You should try that sometime too.

Another idea for your iced tea- so that you don't water it down with ice- is to pour some of your tea, when you make it, into ice cube trays and use that as your cooling method. If you like lemon in your tea, you can use a frozen lemon syrup to add flavor with out watering it down.

 

[Desdemona]

I think atmosphere has a lot to do with how good something tastes. And the atomosphere with all of you was... just wonderful. I had THE best time!

Beautiful Noor called me last night and she was talking about saffron sugar. She suggested trying it in my tea. Have you guys heard of that stuff? I'm going to try and find some of it. It sounds just wonderful. She said it's like a sugar cube, except shaped like a triangle and has cardimumumum (LOL I don't know how to spell that) in it.

Hell if it's a wound care conference, I want to go to that too!!! And of course, you can come stay with me. I'd love to host you. We'd have so much fun. My God, you and I could burn the town down. Or at least try.

How was the spa? I would love to do that. You know I took that header in the front yard before I took my trip? My right arm still isn't okay and it's been like 3 weeks or something. I think I'll clean out the hot tub this weekend and try a good ol' soaking in there. My day at the spa...

Ha!
;-)

Never had saffron sugar. Sounds good though.
Well, if I get to go, I'll send you the info and we'll BOTH go! And yeah, we'd have a hell of a time in town, babe.

The spa was wonderful. I loved the facial. That was my favorite part. The massage was painful. It was just too firm. In spite of it, I was very relaxed afterwards. I needed it. I'll definitely do the facial thing again. She got rid of the bags under my eyes with all that oil and stuff.

Maybe you should consider getting your arm checked out. Ever heard of that thing called a doctor???

 

[Desdemona]

yummy

My grandmother taught me to make sweetened tea with honey- not sugar. I can drink it either way, though. It really is just a personal preference.

My suggestion is instead of using the cane sugar you can substitute it with honey. You should experiment with the amount, though, so that you don't make it too sweet. Des and I were talking about teas over brunch that Sunday and we agreed that making sweetened iced tea with Earl Grey tea or Lavender infused tea is amazing. You should try that sometime too.

Another idea for your iced tea- so that you don't water it down with ice- is to pour some of your tea, when you make it, into ice cube trays and use that as your cooling method. If you like lemon in your tea, you can use a frozen lemon syrup to add flavor with out watering it down.

Very good suggestions Gigi. I've got Earl Grey tea in the fridge right now.

 

[WriterDom]

In my second batch I was smart enough to tie all the bags together. So they all came out at once like a big drippy tampon.

 

[Desdemona]

geez

In my second batch I was smart enough to tie all the bags together. So they all came out at once like a big drippy tampon.

I was thirsty before this. LMAO

 

[jockdom]

Earl Grey very refreshing!

 

[WriterDom]

I saw Luzianne authentic southern sweet tea tonight in four bottle packs. There seems to be a tea explosion now. I've even see tea in the two liter soda bottles.

 

[EmpressFi]

I saw Luzianne authentic southern sweet tea tonight in four bottle packs. There seems to be a tea explosion now. I've even see tea in the two liter soda bottles.

Well duh, it's after Memorial day.. nothin but tea and lemonade until September

 

[callinectes]

Another vote for Luzianne tea..it is the only tea we use in my when making regular tea.

I have recently discovered Tazo chai tea is awsome when iced.

 

[Desdemona]

Well, I'm making sun tea today

It's a mix of Earl Grey, green tea and Luzianne.

But in addition to that, I'm making another, more potent brew for my garden; Manure tea. I filled a knee high sock with composted manure and it's in a bucket of water, brewing in the sun for a couple of days. I'd say it ain't for human consumption, but you never know around these parts.... would you put a sprig of mint in it???
hehe

 

[sureibu]

Well duh, it's after Memorial day.. nothin but tea and lemonade until September

Oh, this made me think about my Grandma..lol. Have you ever mixed the two together? She used to make Country Time Lemonade but instead of adding water she would use iced tea. Its really yummy!

 

[WriterDom]

Today I experimented with an additional 4 small bags of peppermint tea. Pretty tasty. But after a gallon I'll be ready for something else.

 

[Desdemona]

ever try

tea made with rose hips? It's very soothing.

 

[WriterDom]

The blend I'm cooking up now has a squeezed orange and lemon.

 

[DVS]

All of these different ways and types of tea...nobody has talked about the scum ADR mentioned in an earlier post. So, is it just something she's doing? The tea she was using? The water?

I once looked on a web site for a receipt and found one that said not to make sun tea, because it can have bad bacteria in it. I've never heard that, and I don't ever remember someone dying from sun tea, so maybe that was just some whacko. But, the scum ADR mentioned brought that back to memory.

I remember iced tea as a kid. That's pretty much all we drank in the summer. Lip smackin' good stuff. My mother sure knew how to make it. Then, she knew how to make most anything well. Her fried chicken was WONDERFUL!! Oh, and her cherry pie? God, I could eat a whole pie.

OK, back to the tea...sun tea is great, but I've never made it, myself. I've always been just the drinker. I'm going to hang around this thread, though. The summers in this area are always hot and steamy. I usually drink a beer after mowing the yard. Maybe this year, it could be a nice tall glass of sun tea, instead. Well, not always...beer is good, too.

 

[Desdemona]

sun tea scum

I don't have a clue why it happens to ADR. It doesn't happen when I make it. But, I don't often make sun tea. I'm too impatient. I just go ahead and make hot water in the coffee maker and steep my tea bags pretty quickly. It gets hot and steamy here too and I want my tea fast.

 

[WriterDom]

Sun tea won't heat it enough to kill bacteria. But I don't think that's a problem if you keep the jar clean and aren't using pond water.

The coffee pot idea isn't bad. But I like a whole gallon at a time. Can you make it super concentrated so you can add more water once it is done?

I found that Lipton brews much faster than Luzianne.

 

[Desdemona]

sure

Sun tea won't heat it enough to kill bacteria. But I don't think that's a problem if you keep the jar clean and aren't using pond water.

The coffee pot idea isn't bad. But I like a whole gallon at a time. Can you make it super concentrated so you can add more water once it is done?

I found that Lipton brews much faster than Luzianne.

Just use the number of bags you'd use for a gallon. Let it steep a little longer. I use the Luzianne just because it's what they have at Sam's and I can buy it in bulk. I like Lipton too.

 

[cherokee_dove]

As to the scum floating on the tea... Does she have city water or well water?

i notice a difference when making sun tea at moms, shes on city water. And when i make it out here in the country on well water, it has a slight layer on it.

All i do is take a coffee filter and the filter part of my MrCoffee and set it over another empty gallon jug. Then filter the sun tea down thru. Takes the layer of whatever off.

 

[A Desert Rose]

All of these different ways and types of tea...nobody has talked about the scum ADR mentioned in an earlier post. So, is it just something she's doing? The tea she was using? The water?

I once looked on a web site for a receipt and found one that said not to make sun tea, because it can have bad bacteria in it. I've never heard that, and I don't ever remember someone dying from sun tea, so maybe that was just some whacko. But, the scum ADR mentioned brought that back to memory.

I remember iced tea as a kid. That's pretty much all we drank in the summer. Lip smackin' good stuff. My mother sure knew how to make it. Then, she knew how to make most anything well. Her fried chicken was WONDERFUL!! Oh, and her cherry pie? God, I could eat a whole pie.

OK, back to the tea...sun tea is great, but I've never made it, myself. I've always been just the drinker. I'm going to hang around this thread, though. The summers in this area are always hot and steamy. I usually drink a beer after mowing the yard. Maybe this year, it could be a nice tall glass of sun tea, instead. Well, not always...beer is good, too.

The next time I make sun tea, I'll try and take a picture of the jar and the stuff on top.

I use all kinds of different teas, depending on the taste I'm feeling like and I use city water. I've lived in more than one city in my life and it's always happened, so I can't blame the water, exclusively.

I've done what dove suggested and strained it through a coffee filter. She's right, that makes a big difference.

Like Des, I don't make sun tea much anymore. I like it strong and brew it that way in the machine. But still, even when I dilute it down, my sweet tea doesn't taste as good as what I had with Des and WD.

I think it's less about the brewing/flavor of the tea and all about the company I was in...

 

[WriterDom]

The coffee pot I have now isn't good for tea. Maybe I should buy another just for tea and as a coffee back up. Don't have a coffee pot now. It is all held inside and releases when you press the cup against the little thingy. I like it a lot. No messy pouring.