Anyone else love Steel Magnolias? How can you not love a classic like that? I mean, I guess its okay if you don’t, but it seriously makes me want to Bless your Heart .

Remember the scene when Dolly (Truvy)  calls the tea, The House Wine of the South? Well… she wasn’t fibbin! I know there are people out there that drink unsweetened tea, I have heard reports, they have been sighted…in this house however, it goes against everything we were taught. Far be it from us to go against our raise’n!

You know by now I have an odd but fun loving sense of humor… if you like unsweetened tea… just omit the sugar… I will still love ya!

 You will need:

4 Luzianne® Family Size Tea Bags

1 3/4 cups Dixie Crystals® Sugar

13 1/2 cups water divided like so : 5 1/2 for brewing and 8 for the pitcher

Ice

Lemons for serving, optional

 

In a med pot, add the 5 1/2 cups of cold water and the tea bags. Move the tea bags around several times and  heat to the steamy stage, just before it gets ready to boil. It will be a bit foamy on top, that’s how you know it is about to boil. You don’t want it to boil, it causes the tea to be bitter.

Turn off the heat and “dip” you bags a few times and leave it to steep for 20 minutes.

This next part is controversial among southern women… some say yes and some say no and both sides are equally adamant about it….. but…. I pour the tea into a 1 gallon pitcher and I press the water out of the tea bags… there I said it… I squeeze the bags…. I feel much better.

Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir well… melting the sugar.

Add the rest of the cold water to the pitcher and stir well…. chill in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Serve over ice and garnish with lemon!

Perfection!