Sweet tea has been a . This cold drink was perfect for fighting off the region's intense summer heat, and eventually spread throughout the country. The recipe is pretty simple: Steep several bags of (usually black) tea in a glass jar, add a sweetener like sugar, take out the bags, and let the drink cool.
Many people make the mistake of adding the sugar after the tea has been infused, but and then pour the boiling water on top of it. This guarantees that the sugar fully dissolves in the tea instead of dropping to the bottom, which makes constant stirring necessary. As much as we love a classic sweet tea recipe, we're also fans of food evolving in delicious ways.
For cold tea, this evolution is obvious: adding fresh herbs. Herbal tea typically calls for dried herbs because using fresh ones requires larger quantities and longer steeping time. Dried herbs can also be stored for many months.
However, fresh herbs give your tea a hint of, well, freshness that is perfect for a cold drink enjoyed in the summer. Given its almost universal popularity, mint is probably the best herb to use. You can also add sage, lemon balm, rosemary, chamomile, or lavender.
Anything edible in your garden is fair game, so don't be scared to experiment. Other ingredients to add to your sweet tea You don't even have to stop at herbs. Spices, bush flowers, or fruits can take your sweet tea to another level.
Follow the footsteps of , and add petals from fragrant flowers to the infusion. As with their herbal .
