Sweet Iced Tea from the Sweet Tea Belt

You are probably wondering where the Sweet Tea Belt is, right? Well, the Sweet Tea Belt covers the Bible Belt and extends west to Texas and north just below Ohio. The Sweet Tea Belt line ends as you enter Washington D. C. heading north. Sure, there are small isolated Sweet Tea Spots outside this area, but they are few and far between. When looking for a new job several years ago, my husband decided that he needed to stay within the borders of the Sweet Tea Belt, if possible. Sweet iced tea is an important part of life in the South! How could we live anywhere sweet iced tea is not readily available?

Before I get into the specifics of my favorite recipes, it is important to note how to make the best sweet iced tea. Knowing when to add the sugar is important. If you are like my husband and like super saturation sugar syrup sweet iced tea, then you want to add the sugar while the tea is still hot. Once the tea is cold, the sugar does not dissolve as easily. If you are tired of regular sweet iced tea, try the two versions below for a refreshing change.

Natural Mint Tea is one of my favorite versions of iced tea. Whether you make mint iced tea alone or mixed with black tea, mint iced tea is quite refreshing and very easy to make. Mint is always growing in my herb garden, so it makes it easy to enjoy mint iced tea any time! I pick a handful of mint when adding it to black tea and more for making plain mint tea. Place the black tea bags with a handful of freshly washed mint leaves into the pitcher or several handfuls of freshly picked mint for plain mint tea. Pour two quarts of boiling water over the tea bags and mint (or mint when making plain mint tea). Sweeten with sugar and cool for the perfect iced tea. Mint can also be dried for use in your iced tea year round.