How Many Cups of Sugar per Gallon of Tea?
Making the perfect cup of tea requires mastering a few key ingredients—namely, water, tea leaves, and sugar. While everyone’s sweet tooth varies, there’s a basic rule of thumb for how many cups of sugar are necessary for a gallon of tea.
A General Rule of Thumb
A general rule of thumb for brewing a gallon of sweet tea is to use 1 cup of sugar per gallon. You can adjust this basis your personal preference and taste. If you prefer sweeter tea, consider adding a bit more sugar.
Healthier Alternatives
If you’re looking to reduce sugar intake, you can use sugar alternatives like honey, artificial sweeteners, or natural sweeteners like agave syrup. While these are healthier options, remember to start with a smaller amount and adjust to the desired level of sweetness.
Instructions for Brewing Sweet Tea
To make sweet tea for 1 gallon:
- Boil water – Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil.
- Add tea – Add four family-size tea bags (or 8 regular-size tea bags) to the hot water and let them steep for 15 minutes.
- Add sugar – Stir in 1 cup of sugar until it has completely dissolved.
- Cool tea – Let the tea cool completely. Then, remove the tea bags and discard them.
- Enjoy – Pour into a glass over ice, add lemon slices and/or other fruits, and enjoy your sweet tea.
If you’re averse to heat, or want a bit of a twist, you can also make a cold brew sweet tea. For this method, you’ll steep 4 family-size tea bags (or 8 regular-size tea bags) in 1 gallon of cold water for 8 hours. After straining out the tea bags, add in your desired amount of sugar.
No matter how you make it, sweet tea is a refreshing summertime drink. Try your hand at brewing a gallon of sweet tea to have on-hand for quenching your thirst after hot summer days.
