Sweet Tea

Steep the Tea: Remove the boiling water from the heat. Add the 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the water (this neutralizes the tannins and prevents cloudiness). Submerge the 6 tea bags in the water. Cover and steep for exactly 15 minutes. Do not squeeze the bags when removing them, as it releases bitterness.

Dissolve the Sugar: Discard the tea bags. While the concentrated tea is still very hot, pour in the 1 cup of granulated sugar. Stir vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved into a sweet syrup.

Dilute: Pour the hot, sweet tea concentrate into a large, heat-proof glass pitcher. Add the 4 cups of cold water to dilute the mixture.

Chill: Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 2 hours until very cold.

Serve: Fill tall glasses to the brim with ice cubes. Pour the sweet tea over the ice and garnish the rim of each glass with a fresh lemon slice.