Memo’s Sweet Tea

Memo Anita made a fresh pitcher of sweet tea every day, and it was perfect for quenching your thirst in the scorching Texas heat. This syrup-like tea is even more refreshing after being chilled and served over an ice-filled glass. Her method for making tea adds the sugar during the boiling process, and the tea has a nice long steep. This results in a dark, rich tea that tastes like it was sweetened with simple syrup. Memo always added lime juice picked from her lime tree in the back yard. My task was to use her hand-held exprimidor to squeeze all of the limes. You’ll find that the lime juice reduces the astringency of the strong, tannic black tea. For a crowd-favorite drink at your next gathering, make large batches of this recipe and chill overnight. My twist is to serve the tea with citrus garnishes such as thinly sliced navel oranges, blood oranges, lemons, or limes. I also add sprigs of mint, rosemary or thyme to compliment the citrus slices. For an extra-festive tea, I also add sliced strawberries or raspberries. So, go ahead and make yourself a pitcher of fresh brewed tea, sit back and enjoy at a leisurely pace like a true South Texan. Did you make this recipe? Let me know at @y_delicacies on Instagram.

Memo’s Sweet Tea

Makes 1 gallon

16 cups water, divided

2 cups sugar

8 black-tea bags

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Optional garnishes: Thinly sliced navel oranges, blood oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries, raspberries, sprigs of mint, rosemary or thyme

1. In a medium pot, add 8 cups of water, the sugar and tea bags and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to a simmer until the water is dark brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let the tea bags steep for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the tea bags. Pour the tea into a large pitcher. Add the remaining 8 cups of water and the lime juice. Stir to combine and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with any of the optional garnishes poured over ice-filled glasses.