8cupswater2 cups for the simple sugar; 6 cups for brewing the tea
Instructions
In a saucepan on medium heat, add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar; cook and stir until sugar has dissolved; remove from heat and set aside
Brew the Tea: (see How to Brew Tea in recipe notes)Bring 6 cups of water to boil and add tea leaves; allow to steep for about 5 minutes ORPlace tea bags in coffee maker with no coffee filter; run 6 cups water through the coffee maker
In a large heat-tolerant pitcher, add the hot tea; pour in simple syrup in ½ cup increments until the tea is sweet enough for you!
Add a few handfuls of ice to the pitcher
Put more ice in glasses and pour tea over ice and enjoy!
Notes
Use a heat-tolerant pitcher:
Glass pitchers work best; plastic pitchers may melt (do not ask how I know this)
Brewing:There's a couple of different methods in brewing tea, but I'll just mention a few:
Stove top: Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil; add in three tea bags; turn heat off and let steep
Kettle: Bring a kettle of water to a whistle; place the tea bags in a large heat-tolerant pitcher; pour hot water over tea bags; let steep
Coffee-Maker: Put three tea bags in the filter area; don't use a coffee filter; add about 6 cups of water to the coffee maker; turn on "brew"; once tea has filled the coffee pot, remove from coffee maker pour sweet tea into a pitcher
Pour the warm tea into a heat-tolerant pitcher and add some of the simple syrup (add a little, taste, and adjust to your liking)How to Prevent Cloudy Iced Tea
The most common reason for cloudy tea is over-steeping. I steep Luzianne tea bags for 5 minutes and that's it. A short steep minimizes the tannins, which contribute to cloudiness.
If you accidentally over-steep your tea bags, you can easy correct a pitcher of cloudy tea by adding in a teaspoon or two of baking soda to the warm tea. Baking soda does not change the flavor.