Sweet Tea is the "House Wine״ of the South!

I'm so desperate to watch Phyllis videos, I've started watching these old ones-- my goodness, she's a sight for sore eyes. When I think about what's happened and changed in her life since this was recorded, it gives me a shiver down my spine. God bless her, I hope she's doing okay and will be back among us ASAP. I'm ready for some iced tea!!

I love you Phyllis, so real so down to earth. You have the most soothing and calm voice. Love all your videos.

Miss her so much. So glad her videos are still available. I like that her son is keeping this channel going.

We have sweet tea here in Texas - I put tea bags in cold water, bring to just a boil remove from heat and add the sugar stirring until melted - let it steep until it is the strength yo prefer. In a heavy glass pitcher- I fill it with ice (instead of water) and pour the warm tea over the ice.. I learned to make iced tea from an older lady who worked the lunch counter at Woolworth's five and dime back in the 60's.

I'm from the south. My grandmother always said never boil water so much the oxygen escapes. Soon as it comes to boil, take off the fire just like this video. Otherwise your tea will be bitter. Plus don't leave tea bags in water too long, also causes bitterness.

I simply cannot tell you how much I truly enjoy this woman. No matter what she makes I simply enjoy her directions.

My Mississippi granny always made her tea in one of those Federal "star" glass pitchers. Years later I just had to find me one of those pitchers for the nostalgia factor, lol. I love it.

Phyllis, you can make Southern Sweet Tea look so elegant! RIP dear lady!

Phyllis love you very much From a 76years old. I still watch your videos They are such comfort to me Since i lost my husband from cancer 2008 and my daughter who Pass away year 2020 January 17 Even u are no longer with here It is a great comfort to your family Reading our comments You and Me Bucky are missed. Rest in peace You are both in my heart 💖💖

I wished that you was my next door neighbor. I would learn SO much! You are so patient and always do the steo by step of how to do something. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and I LOVE your videos!

Secret's out! this is truly how it's done in Virginia & Tennessee too!

Being raised in the south, we drank sweet tea for lunch and supper and in between times as well. I only use Luzianne tea because I think it has the best flavor. I put my bags into the cold water, bring it up to the boiling point, take the pot off the burner, add the sugar and let it all steep for a few minutes. Remove the tea bags, pour into the pitcher, add cold water to top of container and my tea is ready to go. I happen to like a strong tea while my husband prefers a weaker tea, so I just fill his glass about half way and add more water to the glass. The funny story about this is my husband grew up in Delaware and lived with his grandmother. He said they only had unsweet tea and it was only served during the summer months and only for their dinner time. Well, when he married this southern girl, he learned very quickly to appreciate southern sweet tea served all year long!

Mrs. Phyllis I just came across your channel a few says ago and I love your recipes they remind me of my childhood in the 70s. I am Mexican American but grew up eating Southern food because my mom learned to cook it when she worked as a maid for an American family in Texas. Thanks to that I cook both Southern and Mexican!

I only drink coffee, Ice tea, and water too! I love sweet tea made this way. I did get a good tip from my London friend, and he said to never squeeze the tea bag, as it brings out the tannins (bitter part) in the tea, and it WORKED!! It really shocked me, the difference it made. My tea was regular tea, not decaffeinated, so I don't know if that makes a difference, but it sure is much better since we started making it that way. When my children tried it, it made a difference to them too, so much so, that now everyone makes it that way. Bless, Sheila

I love sweet tea too when I was a little girl my mom would make it with lemon and a little orange Kool aid it really brought out the orange peko in the tea bag it's delicious

Save your tea leaves- they are good for rose bushes- just mulch it in.

Thank you Phyllis and your voice is so soothing while explaining.

Sweet Phyllis, we love you so here in Hamburg/Germany💕🤗. Thank you sooo much for being as you are and for all your great receipts. You are wonderful❤️. Love from Angel

Gone for several years. I do miss you and watching your videos❣️. R.I.P. dear lady.

Ice Tea is not a big drink in Australia, however, this seems like such a great alternative to sodas. I will try this for sure! Love your vids Phyllis. I feel like I must have lived in the American South in a past life or something 😊

I'm a sweet iced tea drinker​ too. & of course I put 🍋 lemon in my tea. I also don't drink soda's. I do also drink coffee. 😊

I had a Aunt who would make tea in a sauce pan very very strong and a lot of sugar and let it reduce to a syrup and then when she would want a glass of iced tea she would get a glass of ice and put water in it and then add her syrup to taste and stir it around and have her tea. I wish I had learned to make it from her so that I could keep the syrup in the refrigerator and I would like to be able to make it with Splenda or a sugar substitute into a syrup since I am a diabetic but I grew up on sweet tea and I love sweet tea!!

just wanted to tell you thank you so... so.. much for your informative videos.. youre concise way of giving instructions..and charming manner.. you and Mr Bucky both have made many of my nights (and afternoons)delightful as well as delicious!

My mother-in-law taught me to make sweet tea. She cranked out gallons of tea and fruit punch Koolaide (for the kids) during the summertime! My father-in-law preferred hot coffee with dinner in the winter so she didn't make as much then. She used Lipton teabags mostly: 6 teabags + 3/4 to 1 cup sugar = 1/2 of a big lemon (about 1 Tablespoon). I got a Tea Maker at one point. You fill the pitcher halfway with water and dump it in the reservoir, then fill the pitcher with ice. Because of the ice, the tea is cold so I always made a simple syrup with the sugar and hot water. Once I removed the top with the teabags in it, there was room for the sugar water. My mother-in-law said how good it was and the next week, she had the large gallon-sized machine on her counter!

I think Southern Iced Tea is so good because you begin with a home made concentrate. Then you add water and or lots of ice after it's brewed. I make mine that way now. I used to wonder why "Ice Tea Glasses" were called that, and why so large? Then my aunt in Tennessee explained that often the concentrate (sometimes still warm) would go into the tall glass filled with ice, "as is"...and the ice would supply the rest of the water. Finally made sense to me! I just love it.

Well, I am going to start drinking this southern tea . I am sure it will be better for me than cola! Thanks!

So that's how you southern gals do it! I lived in Wisconsin, and after Katrina we had a lot of southerners move north. Well low and behold we started seeing sweet tea everywhere. I prefer the less sweet version and would drink this or lemonade with a meal. Thanks for the video. God bless and have a compassionate day.

For a minute there I thought I must be southern. I also drink coffee and I drink iced tea year round. Hot tea I don't care much for, unless I'm sick or just in the mood for it. I've actually never been to the south, so I was surprised to learn this.

Miss Phyllis & Mr. Bucky became part of our family. They were SO cute together and loving, so “” down to earth””, and comforting to watch. Miss Phyllis amazed us by all the things she knew how to do. She most definitely was “” one of a kind “”. I miss them terribly, but I am SO thankful for their videos. Mr. Bucky was a great Bible teacher, and had such a gentle spirit. They were the greatest.

I love tea. I drink fresh brewed tea w lemon always on ice ! It’s full of antioxidants. I love hot tea also- so delicious !! Thank you !!

I was just sitting here thinking, "I wonder how miss phyllis makes that sweet tea she always has in her videos?" Tadaaaah!! What a coincidence!🙌 Thank you!☕💗🐾

Yes, Phyliss is so endearing. After I start watching a new recipe she has, it takes about 2 minutes before I just start smiling and feel so peaceful. And my goodness! We didn’t learn to cook much growing up. I drink tea everyday and just guess on what to do. After all these years I finally can have confidence in how I make iced tea. (Although I am not a lemon tea lover - but a sprig of mint is a treat!)

just love watching you. you take me back to a simpler time and calm my soul. you cook just like my grandma did. I have all her old recipes on index cards. she wrapped all cards with saran wrap to keep them clean. wish I could live where you live. life is too complicated and younger people have mo respect for ages past. just keep up the wonderful way you teach cooking. glad Mr bucky is feeling better

Love some sweet tea with lemon, Yankee here. Just like mom made!

I'm the family tea maker, 5 gallons at a time for family cook outs. we make it the same way.

Never knew the tip about leaving the lid on while steeping! Always have some great info Phyllis! Hook, Line, and sinker!

I am so blessed to have got to watch your mother and yours as well i have been trying o watch them all.i am southern and love to cook thanks for all these videos you folks are such a pleasure hope you carry on your mothers legacy. What a women .i love all the stories.ms j

I love how you do the Tea, Thank you !!

Sweet iced tea is a staple here in Texas. 🙂

We drink all the time with every meal. I’m from the south and love my 🍵 sweet ice tea . Don’t know why we don’t drink hot tea, we just didn’t but lord, we love our coffee 😄 now over the years I’ve been trying some hot ☕️ teas.

I'm in Texas & my son & I drink about 1g a day! Only difference is that we use a teapot & Splenda. Gotta have our sweet tea, we'd be lost without it.

Every time I watch Ms Phyllis's videos I badly want to say hello to her. Her voice has such a soothing quality. Love never dies Ms Phyllis

I really like the tip about the baking soda. It's so nice to have these videos to watch over and over again. You are deeply missed

If you are in a state that doesnt serve sweet tea at resturant...ask for cup of hot tea and a glass of ice. Let tea steep, add ur sugar then add it over ice and mix well. ;)

I use Louisianne tea bags in a gallon jug, in the sun, add 3 cups sugar, yummy

I miss you so much Phyllis. Always loved hearing all your stories when making things. 😢❤

Yeap! Same way that we have always fixed our sweet iced tea! Minus the lemon since some don't care for it. My Dad uses a gallon milk jug for his tea pitcher. Thanks for sharing!

Hi I am addicted to your videos Been watching them for 3 days My husband's grand mother is from the South and he remembered loving her tea Today I made your recipe and We loved it I like the fact that it is decaf So just wanted to let you know that I love your style Low key and so easy to follow lam discovering new cooking ingredients and it's fun to,try new stuff Thank you for sharing and stay well.

Fascinating way of making tea! I've always wanted to try southern ice tea. Thank you for sharing this Phyllis

Thank you for the 🎥. I never used to drink tea until the last 10 years. Really didn't know how to make southern tea. I thought by using sugar would make the tea cloudy. So we always put the sugar in the glass when its cold. It would take a long while in stirring to desolve the sugar. Now I going to make this tea today 😝🌹

I love my sun green iced tea with lime. 😊🍶

Thank you Phyllis ! Hope you have a very Blessed Day.

Hi Mrs. Phyllis, just discovered your videos today but I'm instantly hooked! I was born and raised in California and then as a teenager moved with my family to Upstate NY. I've always wanted to live in the south, people here are downright rude most of the time and always in a hurry. Life is short so make it sweet! Which brings me to my next point, I'm pretty sure instead of blood I have sweet tea, I love it so much, but I've never made it at home. Gotta make this today because I'm melting in a 90 degree humid apartment. Anyways, sorry for rambling I just wanted to say you're one of the sweetest people on KZfaq and thank you for sharing your recipes and stories with us. Hope you're doing well! 💜

Hi, I make my tea in my coffie pot, 10 tea bags, 2 12 cups and I get amasing resultes. We have the same tubberware cansters. Love you Mrs. Phyllis. Prayers to you always and TFS

My dog just heard your dog barking on your video here and now she is barking wondering where that dog is,LOL. We drink Ice Tea when we go out to dinner. I agree their sweet tea is to sweet so we get un-sweetened and put sugar in it. When I make Ice Tea at home I boil the tea bags for a few minutes. I want to try your way and steep them for 5 mins and see if that works better for us. Thank you for the time you take to show us how to make Ice Tea. God bless & Jesus is coming for his bride soon, be ready.

Being a guy who grew up in Pennsylvania and has lived here my entire life, sweet tea was something we just didn't do. My parents made unsweetened occasionally in the summer. I'm 37 now and just this year I developed a taste for sweet tea. I've been trying different "recipes" but haven't found the right combination yet. I just made yours Miss Phyllis. It's chilling in the fridge now. I'm looking forward to trying tomorrow for lunch.

Thank you My tea was always a little bitter so i will try Making it your way. Blessings

Made sweet tea my whole life. My daddy called it the 3/4/5 rule. 3 tea bags, 4 cups boiling water, steep 5 minutes. 1 1/2 cups sugar LOL Yup we like it sweet!! I must admit I quit drinking all sugared drinks because of health as I’ve gotten older. Pretty much water, water, water. Lost over 40 lbs and have kept it off. I do miss my southern sweet tea!!

I can’t believe it. I had just been thinking how Phillis always makes iced tea and was wondering how she did it ant this was the first video to pop up. ❤️

That’s pretty close to the way I make mine! Thank you

best Ice tea I ever drank was made from "cistern" water ...sometimes had to strain the "wigglers" out HA......used either Tetley or Liptons..and made it the way you describe here...had hand chipped ice off a block to cool it down...best drunk out of a fruit jar in the Texas heat

I'll need to give iced a go. Here in Scotland we just about always drink it hot. Most people drink it with milk and no sugar, but I drink it without milk and plenty of sugar so I would fit right in down in the South! Tetley is the brand of choice for a lot of people in the UK. We also call "steeping" the tea "mashing" or "stewing". I like my tea almost as weak as water though. I think that's because I am not topping it up with the extra water like you are. When you left it sitting for 5 minutes to steep I thought "That is going to take the roof off your mouth" but when I saw you add the cold water it all made sense. I bet it really is lovely on a hot day.

Thanks for sharing, a nice take on sweet tea.

I add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. depending how how long I leave the tea to steep. If it's strong I'll use the 1/4 tsp. baking soda.

I drink ice tea for breakfast. Never have liked coffee. I like making iced peach tea for supper using Celestial Seasonings Country Peach teabags. Chamomile is also good iced and makes you sleepy.

This NY gal was exposed to a whole new world of great southern food when I went to a southern college. Key lime pie, sweet tea, grits, bar-b-que! Amazing! I am like you and never drink soft drinks or coffee. Here is what I do, if you don't mind my two cents: there are some diabetics in my family and they can't drink sweet tea. So, what I do is make a simple syrup. It's one part sugar with one part boiling water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and take off heat and let sit until it reaches room temp. Then put into a mason jar (any glass jar with a lid) and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Then, I make unsweetened tea and I serve the simple syrup with it. This way, those who can't drink the sweet tea have it plain and those who want it sweet can add the syrup. You can add 100 teaspoons of sugar to iced tea but it'll never sweeten it as sugar doesn't dissolve in cold beverages. But, using the syrup does the trick! Thank you for your great recipes!

Thank you for sharing the recipe Phyllis.

So many memories this brought back to me today. That’s the way my mother made ice tea, except without the sugar, since we were west of the Mississippi by then. 😉 Love her videos. Wish I had found them years ago.

Southern sweet tea is the best. I learned from a friend of mine who was from Tennessee. I was living in Michigan at the time so up until I met her, I had always had my tea unsweetened. Funny story.....She moved to Michigan several years ago and a few years after that, I moved to Georgia.

My mother was born and raised in North Carolina. I grew up on her southern cooking and sweet tea... fried okra, fried green maters, Eastern carolina bbq.

Thank you for your insightful videos. I learn much about Southern life from you as well. And yes, i can’t find a decent glass pitcher either. I use a 1 qt mason jar and make concentrated sweetened tea that I dilute when I use it. Hope you are having a lovely fall.

I made the iced tea this morning. Yum,,, you spoil me. I made it the same except used the juice from 2 lemons. we like it more tart. the tea strength was perfect and sweetness.

Ms Phyllis, I'm from Knoxville TN and thats the way my mama taught me to make sweet tea. I live in Chicago now and no one would have any idea what to do if you ordered sweet tea. ! I did not know about the glass bottle tip, though. And will try that. You are awesome and made me really smile with thoughts of home. Thank you.

I experimented with celestial seasoning teas for marinades, vinaigrettes and flavoring so for sweet deserts. My Mother swears by Luzianne decaf. I just love iced tea and iced coffee! Thanks Phyllis for the Stokes Sweet Tea recipe. Yes! Tea in glass container , please, EVERYTIME!

you are so sweet to share this my mom and grand mother used to drink tea all the time and would actually go thru about a gallon a day and yes, everyone does it a little different. thank you for sharing

I agree with the "outrage" of no sweet tea. I asked once if a restaurant served sweet tea, they said yes. The waitress brought tea and sugar packets. I thought she misunderstood me, but no, she was just very misinformed! 😂 Our daughter has severe autism and had to receive treatment in Tennessee. I was very upset and the admissions director asked me, in her sweetest Southern accent, if I would like some tea. I inquired if it was sweet and she said "honey, what else is there? " At that point I knew all would be OK. I don't do lemon, but will sometimes add lime for a change. Your take on sweet tea just makes me love you even more! ♥

I make sun tea a lot. I put the sugar into a gallon glass jar, about 3/4 to 1 cup sugar. I fill the jar up with warm tap water leaving room for 2-3 family size tea bags. I put the lid on tightly and turn the jar upside down a couple times to get the sugar mixed up a little bit. Then set the jar outside in the sun 4-6 hours. There is no bitter taste at all.

Watched your video, about two months ago, on Southern ice tea, and I am completely addicted to it now! It is the best tea I’ve every had. Sunday morning, and the first thing I made was your tea, because I was out! Thank you for this great tea!

I bought a cheap abt $10 coffee maker from WM & let it make my tea, We use decaff too .It's so easy & taste great too!

Im from Texas born & raised but a lot of tea in restaurants here is to sweet for me tast i like sugar water, the best tea iv ever put my lips on was made by my late sister inlaw god rest her soul her tea was just rite

I know this is an older video, but I wanted to say I cold brew my tea. I just fill a pitcher with cold water and throw in some tea bags. I can have a strong tea in a half hour or so but I can have a really delicious tea if I leave it sit overnight. I feel like the tea tastes more bitter if I brew with hot water. My preference haha, try it like that sometime and let me know if you taste a difference. :)

My boyfriend is from the south and I used to be a green iced tea no sugar girl... now I love my sweet tea! Thank goodness it's catching on here in L.A. of all places!!

You make your sweet tea just like do! However, I do add 5 tetley tea bags, because I like my tea really dark, and strong. I use about 2/3 cup of sugar too for a half gallon of tea. I only boil 2 cups of water though, and make more of a sweet tea concentrate, with ice cold water, and then I can drink it right away. I do add a pinch of baking soda to combat bitterness, even though I use filtered water. I also let my tea bags steep for 10-15 minutes to get a stronger flavour. I'm not from the south, I'm from Oregon, but we've been drinking sweet tea for generations. My family did own a plantation in South Carolina, so I'm wondering if the sweet tea we've been drinking was a tradition from my ancestors being from the south. My great grandma Mary always made sweet at every meal, and all of her family clear into the 1800s made it too, so it's just been something that we've always done. I love sweet tea, and during the summertime I like to make a blackberry purée, and mix it into the tea. It's sooo good!

I’m not a tea drinker but when ever I go to my home of Texas I would order the sweet tea because it was a mix of lemonade and tea I just loved that.

Ok I Am in mccomb ms and have found your videos I love them a lot you are a blessing !

Hot tea is so soothing. I don't know why it's not as popular in the US. Love iced tea as well. Just love tea in general. lol

Sweet tea is what we drink year round! Thanks for sharing, simply love your videos! God bless

They,'ve got acrylic double thickness is a nice pitcher. They don't shatter like glass does. A hot water pot is great for boiling water, but don't put anything else but water in it. I don't drink soda either.

Thank you, Phyllis! Love lemon in my tea, also--lots of it! 🌸🐾

I am enjoying watching your videos. I hope you are feeling better. You have been in my thoughts and prayers.

Beautiful tea Phyllis! I'm further south but the house drink here is also ice tea. I use Red Diamond gallon size tea bags. I make one gallon at a time and it's unsweetened. That's the only way Mr G will drink it. I myself sweeten my tea with Splenda Truvia and lemons. Plus I only use bottled water. I buy it by the gallon jug... Re; a gallon at a time. I use one gal size tea bag to 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Once the tea bag is put in I remove it from the burner. I let it steep not over 5-6 minutes. Anything over that makes it taste merky. I usually leave it on the counter until we finish the gallon. We do love out tea!

I used to love it when my mother and grandmother would can fruits. I would eat it from the pan on the stove while they were prepping it.

The Grand Dame of the food chanels! She had an elegance about her and a quiet, sophisticaed sense of humor. Her son is not a good replacement. All he wants to do is preach!

There's definitely sweet tea in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

I love the way you make your Tea. I could just taste it!Thank you.❤

Thank you. I always wanted to make real iced tea.

Hi Phyliss, just saw this video from a couple years ago. Come to St. Louis! Every restaurant and fast food place that I've been to offers both sweet tea and unsweetened!

I worry about the chemicals in the plastic bottle, especially if you're putting in hot liquid. Thank you for your videos. I just discovered your channel recently. I love listening to all your stories. 😊

You make me wanna move back to the South.