The Secret Ingredient for the Best Southern Sweet Tea

What’s the secret to making the best Southern sweet tea?

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A pinch of baking soda!

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It makes a world of difference in a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea by neutralizing the tannins in black tea, giving it a smoother taste. (You can use this trick with other teas as well.)

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Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 8 cups hot water 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 8 cups hot water 4 family-sized black tea bags or 2 gallon-sized tea bags Learn more

Add the baking soda and just-boiled hot water to a heat-proof pitcher. Steep your tea bags for about 5 minutes. Learn more

Meanwhile, make the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and remove from heat. Learn more

Remove the tea bags from your pitcher, squeezing out as much liquid as possible with tongs. Learn more

Pour in the simple syrup, stir, and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate the tea and serve with ice. Learn more

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