Sweet tea, Arazona-like green tea, etc?

[bluefoxicy]

So I find Arazona southern sweet tea and green tea to be decently in style for me. Sweet tea is obviously sweet, and the sugar covers it up; but there's obviously an imbalance of excess tannins in the green tea in Arizona's offerings, not to mention it's a bit bland... when I make my own green tea (from Lipton tea bags) it's more flavorful.

I was considering using loose tea to manufacture a gallon of sweet-brewed black tea and decently balanced, somewhat sweet iced tea. Any suggestions? I have no idea how to make sweet tea, besides pouring in half a pound of sugar

Also iced tea in general escapes me; tea to me is something that should be drunk hot, and iced tea is something I mix from a powder or acquire in a can for drinking cold. It never occurred to me I could actually make iced tea.

 

[thanks]

So I find Arazona southern sweet tea and green tea to be decently in style for me. Sweet tea is obviously sweet, and the sugar covers it up; but there's obviously an imbalance of excess tannins in the green tea in Arizona's offerings, not to mention it's a bit bland... when I make my own green tea (from Lipton tea bags) it's more flavorful.

I was considering using loose tea to manufacture a gallon of sweet-brewed black tea and decently balanced, somewhat sweet iced tea. Any suggestions? I have no idea how to make sweet tea, besides pouring in half a pound of sugar

Also iced tea in general escapes me; tea to me is something that should be drunk hot, and iced tea is something I mix from a powder or acquire in a can for drinking cold. It never occurred to me I could actually make iced tea.

Tea has natural sweetness, but not even the sweetest natural tea will be anything similar to what's called "sweet tea". The sweet part is just sugar or a simple syrup. You have to make the tea extra strong so that it can withstand being watered down so much from the ice, and the addition of the simple syrup will also dilute the mixture somewhat so this helps explain the pronounced tannins. If you don't know how to make a simple syrup it's really quite easy. Just add two parts sugar to one part boiling water until you get a smooth consistency. Add this as desired to your iced tea and you should be all set. Try experimenting with different teas, it doesn't have to just be green or black.

 

[bluefoxicy]

I figured cooling and refrigeration would be enough, it doesn't need to fast cool for immediate after-brew drinking.

So I need strong tea to balance out the sweetness, and a lot of sugar or cane syrup. Okay that makes sense.

Green ice tea? Black and white? Just as simple as make and chill?

 

[SpyvSpy]

If you like Arizona green tea or sweet tea try gold peak (I think that's the name) good stuff.