Boil ½ gallon of the water on stove in a pot. Once water comes to a roiling boil, pour into one gallon pitcher.
Add 3 family-size tea bags and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (you don’t need to stir) to the pitcher. Just make sure the bags are submerged in the water.
Set your kitchen timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take out tea bags. Do not squish tea bags before taking them out, just let them drip for a minute.
Add sugar and stir.
Add the other ½ gallon of cold water to the pitcher and stir again.
Chill completely in the refrigerator for several hours then serve in a glass with ice.
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Notes
We like our tea sweet but you can certainly cut down on the sugar if you prefer.
This makes one gallon of sweet tea.
Baking soda takes any of the bitterness out of your tea. It is great for other uses as well. If you are soaking beans overnight and are putting them in a pot to make the next day, add a small dash of baking soda to your pot before cooking. It keeps beans tasting their best.