Iced Tea

I know, it's not really cooking, it's not really even a recipe. But, my homemade iced teat tastes a lot better than it used to thanks to various tips I've picked up along the way. It's fast and refreshing, and very inexpensive. This makes 1/2 gallon.

8 cups of water
8 regular sized tea bags
Sugar to taste (1/4 cup is mild, 1 cup is Kool-aid sweet, more than that is bonafide Southern)
1/4 tsp baking soda









Boil 1 cup of water in the microwave. Stir in sugar and baking soda. Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes, then remove bags. Add concentrate to remaining 7 cups of water, and it's ready to be served over ice.
Why baking soda? It prevents bitter taste and cloudiness! You won't taste it.
Have fun with different flavors, and of course you can omit the sugar or use artificial sweetener.

*Note: If you use lemon juice, add it last to the cold water. I made a rookie mistake and added it to the concentrate, then when I added the baking soda it exploded. LOL. :)