This post is brought to you by Equal® 0-Calorie Sweetener.
Here in the South, we embrace the oldest and most exceptional traditions, drinking sweet tea, and by sweet tea, I mean SWEET. We’re talking 20 percent of the glass is dissolved sugar–sometimes twice the sugar content of a can of Coca-Cola. The tea is brewed strong, to counter all that sugar.
The basic recipe is seven Lipton tea bags, poured hot over cups of sugar, and diluted to fill the remainder of the gallon pitcher.
It’s served over ice.
We also have a complete guide on how to brew iced tea, for other options.
Most likely, you will be drinking, what Dolly Parton described in Steel Magnolias, “the house wine of the South” on the front porch, where you’ll sweat as much as your glass of sweet tea.
It’s the ice that makes this drink one of the refined choices.
Back in the day, ice was a luxury.
It came on ships or was delivered.
There weren’t ice boxes way back then.
But back to the tea.
A true Southerner can tell the difference between the freshly brewed and the concentrate.
Trust me, I know.
It’s Southern hospitality to offer sweet tea to visitors.
If you visit a restaurant here, you’ll need to remember ordering “tea” will typically come sweet–so if you aren’t partial to a lot of sugar, be sure to request it “unsweetened”, and prepare for glares.
I love Southern Sweet Tea.
I really do.
Unfortunately, my waistline expands from the sugar.
That’s why Equal® is a great choice.Equal® is a great-tasting, sugar alternative that adds just the right amount of sweetness and flavor, and can be used as a part of the “daily beverage ritual” in coffee or tea.
Equal® also adds a great sweetness to any cold beverage such as iced tea and lemonade.
You can sprinkle it on cereal and fruit, and use it in many baking and cooking recipes.
Equal® 0 Calorie Sweetener is a great option for people, especially those living with diabetes, who want to replace or reduce sugar intake and keep their blood glucose levels in check.
Equal® products are available at most grocery, club, drug, and mass-market stores.
Also, look for Equal® in the sweetener caddy at coffee shops and restaurants
I made my favorite iced tea with Equal®, it’s a very versatile product.
For me, it’s the taste of summer.
I like my tea sweet and Equal® gives me the taste I crave without all those calories of sugar.
If you haven’t tried Equal® and have been wanting to, you can find recipes using Equal® on their website..
Here’s my Southern Summer Iced Tea with Fruit Recipe:
Southern Summer Iced Tea with Fruit Recipe Ingredients:
2 quarts tea
1/2 cup Equal®
2 lemons
2 oranges
1 small cantaloupe
1 apple
2 kiwis
2 plums
1 can Sprite
Ice
Southern Summer Iced Tea with Fruit Recipe Prep:
Clean all fruit and dice (maintain the peels in all the fruit except the kiwis) Reserve in a bowl.
Southern Summer Iced Tea with Fruit Recipe Instructions:
Chop fruit and add to a 2-quart pitcher.
You don’t have to dice, just roughly chop the fruit into sections.
Once all the fruit is chopped and in the pitcher, pour the 2-quarts of tea into the pitcher over the fruit.
Add 1/2 cup of Equal® and stir well until Equal® is dissolved.
Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least one hour prior to serving.
Immediately before serving, add the can of Sprite to the mixture.
Fill the glass with ice and pour tea into the glass. Serve with Equal® on the side for those who like their tea a little sweeter.