Isn’t that the sweetest thing?

Dear Home-Ec 101,

My inlaws from down South are coming to town, I need help! All they do is complain about how awful the food is here and how there is no ’sweet tea’ to be found. I’d like to make a good impression.

Signed,

I Like it Bitter in Minneapolis

Heather says:

Sweet tea is a cinch to make. The secret is adding sugar before you add cold water. Bring one quart of water to a boil, add six tea bags (I prefer Luzianne or American Classic), and immediately remove from the burner. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and allow the tea to steep for 10-15 minutes.

Now, the tricky part is determining just how sweet your inlaws prefer their tea. In our house we use 1 cup per gallon, but we’re of the lightly sweetened variety. Your husband should be able to tell you if they like sweet tea or SWEET tea. If it’s the latter, double the sugar.

Pour the steeped tea into a 2qt pitcher and add 1/2 cup sugar, stir until dissolved, and add 1qt cold water. Serve over ice and store in the fridge. This recipe easily doubles, but do you really want to encourage them to linger?