Let them eat cake...

And let them drink iced tea!

Now, let's be clear on this: I don't mean just any kind of iced tea.  I'm not referring to some kind of artificially sweetened, artificially colored dreck that has had a handful of ice cubes tossed haphazardly into its murky depths.  I mean bona fide, genuine, unabashed, tried-and-true iced sweet tea, the kind that is an indescribably bliss-inducing Southern tradition.

Allow me to ground that statement with a bit of a backstory...

Once upon a time, long before I'd even dreamed of living in my wanting-to-be French Provincial apartment with my handsome Mr. Darcy, I lived instead in a split-level house in Alabama with my family.  And when I say that we lived in a split-level house in Alabama, what I mean to say is that I lived in a split-level house in the proverbial epicenter of Alabama, a quintessential Southern state.  Having spent most of my life before that living on the east coast, I had really no idea of what Southern--yes, with a capital "S", because this is quite the entity that we are talking about--really was.

Then my family was moved to Alabama, and I was introduced to things such as Spanish moss, armadillos, fire ants, Crystal burgers--those are a topic for a whole different blog entirely--and, of course, a passionate affinity for sweet tea.  At church and other social functions, one might usually find only two beverages: water, and sweet tea.

As I have somewhat of an insatiable sweet tooth, this was a happy trend for me.

Now that I'm no longer living in Alabama, I have still maintained my love for a nice tall glass of tea, especially during the summer.  There is usually a pitcher of it in the 'fridge here at my and Mr. Darcy's apartment, along with a pitcher of ice water with lemon slices.  These are two beverages that are the simplest things to make, but if you want to know about refreshing things to drink...well, there you go!

Cait's Version of Sweet Tea

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 1/2 cup fine white sugar
6 black tea sachets

Instructions:
   Bring the water to a boil on the stove in a saucepan; turn off the stove once the water is boiling, and add the sugar in immediately, slowly and carefully.  Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add in the tea sachets, dunking them until they're thoroughly saturated.  Leave them to steep for about 10 minutes, then remove the tea sachets from the saucepan.  You don't have to squeeze them, just take them out and throw them away.  Pour the concentrated tea mixture into a pitcher and slowly add in cooler water.  Keeping an eye on the tea's color is key at this point.  Add in more water and look for a paler amber color for tea that has less intense flavor; add in less water for a darker coffee-like color for a more intense flavor.  Refrigerate until it's cold, and serve over ice cubes.

   For a citrusy twist with some zing, stir in half a can of thawed lemonade concentrate and half a can of thawed limeade concentrate before you add in the colder water, and substitute the colder water for carbonated mineral water.  Float a few slices of lemons and limes in it, and you'll have an instant hit.

C'est tout!


One note, from yours truly: a former barista.  I've found that the tea will have a much more pleasing flavor when you combine the boiling water with an almost equal amount of sugar.  Yes, it's a lot--you're essentially making simple syrup, which is almost equal parts sugar and water.  However, this accounts for the classic so-sweet-your-teeth-will-ache quality of Southern iced sweet tea.

Enjoy summer's sweet--haha! ohhh I know, I'm a cheese--idylls, everyone!

À bientôt,
Cait