The taste is just plain dreadful. Not only is it bitter, the whole “sweet” part doesn’t even taste like the usual sweet you think of. Like lemonade, yes it is perfectly sweet. Soda beverages, THAT’S sweet. But TEA, awful. And it’s like no matter how many sweetener packets you put in it, it doesn’t at all help. It’s one of those drinks where you might give it another chance if it’s available thinking it might be better but it always lets you down.
If your sweet tea is bitter you doing something wrong son.
It still has unpleasant taste no matter what
Sweeter packets aren’t going to help. In my experience using them, too many start to give a bitter taste of their own. We use sugar in this house, and honestly it doesn’t take much to cut the tea bitter (which will depend on how and how long you brew it, that’s its own debate). Some restaurant sweet teas are way too sweet.
It’s like coffee, you have to find the right ratio that suits your personal taste buds. And sweet tea that sits in the fridge for a few days will get sweeter, but I’m always going through mine every other day or so.
Different teas have different brewing temperatures below boiling, and if you’re brewing too hot it’s going to be bitter. Even better is a nice jug of sun tea!
Unsweetened iced tea FTW!
Use lemonade to sweeten! Arnold Palmer for the win!
Since I can’t do the sugar intake anymore I make a gallon of unsweet and drink half with artificial sweeteners then add a lemonade packet and refill the pitcher to full. This gives me a little variety.
Black tea like Earl Grey with honey and lemon totally replaced coffee for me. Refreshing, zingy and energising.
Bitter sounds like hard water is altering the pH and pulling more tannins. Cleaner water, like RO water, will pull the flavonoids and fewer bitter tannins.
Second, the water needs to rest for a bit after boiling. 80C/180F is a good temp to pull maximum flavor with minimal tannins. This will again reduce the bitterness of the tea.
An easy alternative approach to tea making that will remove most bitterness is to cold brew the tea in water overnight, separate leaves and tea, and then slow heat the tea. It will have virtually none of the bitterness while keeping the flavor.
Pour the nearly boiling tea over sugar and ice cubes - clean water and slow freezing makes clear ice that leaves no flavor or residue in the tea. The sugar will melt but may require some additional stirring until thoroughly melted. Use more sugar than you might think, like 200g for each liter of tea.
Real sweet tea is a treat, like drinking candied tea.
I have more of a bitter tooth than a sweet tooth, I can’t stand sugary stuff but love tea, coffee ect.
If the tea is bitter you’re using water that is either too hot or too hard, or both, or you’re using over oxidized tea leaves.
Sweet tea (at least in America) is generally made with black tea, which is made by oxidizing dried tea leaves. The level of oxidation is (in part) what determines the quality of the black tea. Some brands (like Lipton) use the lowest graded tea leaves they can get because it’s cheaper. Which leads to more bitterness and off flavors.
All that said, I generally agree with you that sweet tea is awful. Though I’d go a step (or several) further and say that adding either sugar or milk to tea should be a crime punishable by being drowned in the disgusting swill you made.
Sweet tea is awful, but your reasoning is wrong. Proper sweet tea can give you second hand diabetes being at the same table as someone drinking it. There’s nothing remotely bitter about sweet tea.
A lot of folks oversteep their tea, often because they don’t use enough, making it bitter AF no matter how much diabetes dust gets added later.
UK sweet tea is just regular tea, sugar and a splash of milk. It’s awesome, although I usually take my tea without sugar unless I’m hungover or tired.
Sweetener packets?? Sweet tea needs the sugar added before it is iced, its grade school science.
no matter how many sweetener packets you put in it
Ok, legit question: does unpopular opinion allow straight up trolling?
Idk does it?
I find I have to add in acid to bridge the gap between the sweet and bitter. Adding an emulsifying salt can really help as well im told. So maybe add in some citric acid and sodium citrate maybe?
Gotta agree OP. Others latched onto the packet thing but…honestly it is an awful beverage. I grew up drinking it, steeping it, making it as sun tea. I know how it tastes when made correctly. It’s still not a good drink.
Probably needs more sugar.
