Iced Tea in the Summer Time

In the throes of a hot and humid summer, there is nothing more refreshing than a bracing glass of southern sweet iced tea. I never order it when dining out for fear it will be some nasty variation of instant Nestea, with or without lemon. I also have a dislike of having to add sugar to already cold tea since it never seems to fully dissolve.

Ergo, to satisfy my heriditary craving, I have, after much experimentation, come up with my own magical recipe for the perfect pitcher of iced tea!

Fill the bottom half of a Pyrex glass double boiler pot with cold water to just over the metal band around the top. Place the pot on its metal bracket over the stove burner and add 1/3 cup of sugar and 4 orange pekoe black tea bags. Bring just to a boil and turn off, allowing the tea/sugar mixture to steep overnight or until cool. Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate. Serve to taste, with lemon and ice, or not.

Properly made and chilled ahead of time in the fridge, unadorned sweet iced tea is my summertime choice of drink.