National Iced Tea Month

photo by house of sims

When Angie suggested that I might want to write a post about National Iced Tea Month, I hesitated for a little bit because I had another post topic in mind, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind. I mean, really, National Iced Tea Month? My signature drink? In June, which also happens to be my birthday month? I had to do it!

I’ve been drinking sweet tea probably since before I could walk. My dad loves to tell the story of the time he gave me milk in my bottle. I took a swig and tossed it back to him, saying, “Tea!”

“No,” he replied. “Milk.”

“Tea,” I insisted. I’m not quite sure how long this little clash of wills went on, but it ended with me getting tea and it’s pretty much been that way ever since.

According to eHow, iced tea was first enjoyed at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. (Did you ever notice how many of the things we love were created at World’s Fairs?) It was hot and no one wanted to drink the vendor’s hot tea, so he cooled it down and served it cold, as tea should be.

Now, if you want to get really technical, iced tea should be sweet tea, as far as this Southern girl is concerned. If you’ve never made your own sweet tea (which I really can’t even begin to imagine), let me tell you how it’s done here in the South.

You’ll need:

• 3 family-size (or 6 individual size) Luzianne tea bags (Yes, the brand is vitally important. There is no tea like Luzianne tea. Of course, it’s your tea, so feel free to take your chances, if you must.)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar (more or less to taste…this is cut down from 2 cups of sugar from my previously obese days)
• water to make a gallon

I make my tea in a coffee maker because I don’t drink coffee and the coffee maker was given to me as a wedding gift. I figured I might as well put it to good use. If you drink coffee, don’t make tea in the coffee maker; it ruins the taste of your tea…and probably doesn’t do much for your coffee either.

If you’re making tea in a coffee maker, just put the bags in the basket, fill the water reservoir and let it run through. If you’re making it on the stove, fill a pan with water, add the tea bags and let come to a rolling boil. In both cases, I usually turn it off and let it steep for a few minutes before continuing.

Add sugar to a gallon jug, pour in the tea and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then, add cold water to make a gallon. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before drinking. Trust me on this. Enjoy! (Recipe originally shared on Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.)

Most teas for brewing, such as Luzianne,  are made from orange pekoe and black teas. These teas are reported to offer some surprising health benefits, making sweet tea not only delicious, but good for you, too. (The same is, of course, true for unsweetened iced tea, minus the delicious part.) Reported health benefits include:

• Cancer-fighting antioxidants
• Prevention or possible reversal of clogged arteries
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Possible lessening of  respiratory problems, such as asthma, thanks to a chemical called theophylline
• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Improved circulation

Now that you’re convinced that sweet tea is not only a delicious treat for these hot summer months, but good for you, too, you will, of course, want to enjoy the holiday – or holimonth – with your kids. So, what can you do to celebrate National Iced Tea Month?

• Have a tea party
• Make a fancy hat for your tea party
• Make antique-looking paper
• Use your empty tea boxes to make fun crafts
• Read about the Boston Tea Party
• Compare and contrast the top two fast-food sweet teas – McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A (I am truly sorry for those of you who live in areas where there are no Chick-Fil-A restaurants.)
• Experiment with different garnishes for your tea (we’re purists at my house when it comes to tea, but to each his own), such as mint, lemon, or orange

No matter what you do – or don’t do – to celebrate National Iced Tea Month, it’s nice to have just one more excuse to sit around sipping that little sweet taste of heaven.

What’s your summertime, or anytime, beverage of choice?

Kris is the sweet-tea-drinking, classically eclectic, slightly Charlotte Mason mom to her three Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers and the woman who refused to be Eclipsed by obesity any longer.

No related posts.

Tagged as: recipes, summer, written by Kris