Recipe: Southern Sweet Iced Tea

I have had a couple people ask me recently how I make sweet tea, and I just recently made a pitcher since the weather has been near 100. Now that the weather is nice out, I LOVE sitting outside with a glass of it. My friends and family always request it as they say I make it the best!

Ingredients:
4 family size tea bags, I use Luzianne in the red box (this is a must)
1 1/2 cups of sugar (I know I know that’s a lot)
Water
Medium sized sauce pan
Gallon size pitcher

Directions:
You must follow these exact or your tea will be bitter!
Fill sauce pan with water, leave about 2 inches to the top.
Add in the sugar, and put on burner on high.
Stir sugar to dissolve.
Once the water is boiling remove from the burner and thrown in your tea bags.
Immediately put a tight lid on it, and move to a cold burner and let steep for at least 20 min.
Pour into a gallon jug, and fill the rest with cold water and refrigerate.
Drink within 2 days or it starts tasting different.

The key is making that simple syrup with water and sugar, and NOT letting the water boil with the tea bags in it. If you boil it with the tea bags in it, it will be bitter.
Also, when you pour your tea into your pitcher, NEVER squeeze the tea bags out either, as I feel this gives it a bit of a bitter taste.