3 family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags)
4 cups water, plus more to fill the pitcher
1 1/2  cup sugar

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Steep the tea for 10 minutes. Dunk the tea bags a few times in the water, then leave submerged with the strings hanging over the side of the pot. After 5 minutes, remove the bags and discard.
3. Add the sugar to the tea. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Pour the tea base into the pitcher.  ( 1 gallon sized)
5. Top off the pitchers with water. Add another 3 quarts of water to make a gallon of sweet tea.
6. Refrigerate until very cold. Chill for at least 4 hours.
7. Serve over ice. Add a slice of lemon, if desired! The sweet tea will keep refrigerated for about a week.
8.