Summertime Sweet Tea
Summer is nearly here, which means it’s almost time for cookouts, campfires and cool, refreshing beverages! For our friends in the southern United States, few things represent peak summer like a tall glass of sweet tea. This regional favorite is usually served ice cold, sometimes flavored with lemon, mint or other refreshing fruit flavors such as peach or raspberry. However your preferred style, this drink is a guaranteed pick-me-up on a sweltering summer day. If you’re worried about the high-calorie content from all the sugar typically used in sweet tea, we’ve got you covered below with our sugar-free recipe using Purecane™ Sweetener.
A brief history lesson
The sweet tea tradition goes WAY back to the early days of the United States. A cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia was published in 1878 and includes the first-known written recipe for sweet iced tea. While it was originally made with green tea, trade interruption during World War II forced consumers to switch to black tea. The trend held, and today 99 percent of sweet tea is brewed using black tea.
Sweet tea is not only refreshing and delicious, but it’s fun and versatile. You can add different flavors each time until you find your favorite.
Ingredients
- 12 black tea bags, such as Lipton or your favorite brand
- 1/3 cup Purecane™ Spoonable Canister
- PLENTY of ice
- Optional: Lemon slices, sprigs of mint, a handful of raspberries or blueberries
Directions:
Boil four cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over heat. Remove pan from heat and add tea bags, dunking several times before allowing to rest for five minutes. NOTE: For a stronger brew, you can let the tea bags sit for up to three hours. Discard tea bags and add Purecane™ Spoonable Canister, stirring to mix.
Once cooled, pour the tea into a one-gallon pitcher and top off with more water. Make sure the tea is good and chilled before serving. We recommend letting it sit overnight if you can. When ready, it can be poured into glasses over ice or drank straight. Add your desired flavoring, or add a jigger of bourbon to your glass for an adult version, and enjoy!
Trying out this sweet tea recipe? Take a pic and share it with @Purecane on Facebook and Instagram so we can see your refreshing brew!
