Memaws Sweet Tea for Mothers Day

[mioyshi]

Sitting on the front at my Memaws house , sippin sweet tea from a mason jar has always been one of my fondest childhood memories. The Elders would talk of their own youth, and we as kids knew the rules  of life from listening to their stories.

IT was always hot at Memaws house, as she had no airconditioner.  No matter  how hot the heat, she was always happy and smiling, and so glad when I came to visit her. She would say to everyone,   " Get a glass of tea, and lets play a game of Uno"... and so we did.  There were no strangers to my Memaw.

Memaws kitchen table was the place for the family news, and games as well as great meals. All the family children would come , have a bite, a sip, and back out to play, as times seemed so simple then.

I watched Memaw make that pot of tea, millions of times and could not wait to see her fill a jar with ice, then pour me a glass, as nothing tasted better  to me.

She would always use one  special pot for the making of the tea. She would fill the pot, (measures out to about 4 cups of water.) 
  She waited till the water was boiling, then she added the sugar.  ( that would be about a cup)

She  stirred the sugar until it melted.  The heat is turned off at this point. Then adding three family size bags of lipton tea.  ( or 6 singles)

Now, add the lid, let it steam a minute, or two... add ice to a mason jar, pour the tea,
 go out to your own front porch, and tell your children about youth as you knew it.  When they grow up, it will serve as a great memory I assure you.

 I pour the rest of the pot into a larger mason jar, then refrigerate after it cools a bit
 I use glass, just like Memaw as it does not grow bacteria.  "Interstingly enough, this is the same recipe for making hummingbird nectur. Without the tea bags of course.

As this is Mothers Day Eve, I dedicate this recipe to my Memaw, as I know she would  have been most happy for me to share this with you all. Especially Cookie !!

I wish you all a Happy Mothers Day, filled with many jars of Memaws Sweet Tea ! 
smiles as always, mio

[mioyshi]

Enjoy  !!

[Fanny Mae]

Oh Mioyshi, what sweet memories. I still remember my Gonnie and that brings back so much. We still drink our sweet tea out of mason jars even today. We live in Ohio now, and I so miss the south and the southern ways. We still make our own tea just the way you said. Your story even brought back the memory to me of drinking cool water, freshly pulled up from the well in a wooden bucket. We would drink from a metal dipper. I can almost taste the pure, clean water today. I can remember the soap and powdered smell of her when I would sit in her lap. I am missing my mama and my gonnie today. I wish they were here. I had an older neighbor lady next door when I lived in Florida. Miss Katie is gone now too. She was from Kentucky and she loved her sweet tea too. She was one of the best friends I ever had in my life. I made her Butternut Pound cake recipe today in honor of Mothers Day. Thank you for bring back the memories.

I hope you have a happy birthday today. I left a greetings to you on your birthday thread. My opologies for misspelling your name. It was the thought I guess that matters.

Fanny Mae

[cookie]

Mio...thank you darlin! I will make some sweet tea tomorrow and each time I do make it in the future, I will think of you! No more going to McDonalds for me now for sweet tea almost every day...
Your memaw sounds like the grammy that I try and wish to be with my sweet grand daughters...I loved your story of your memaw.....My memory of my granny was that she made the best peach cobbler in the world! no one could make it like she did! every time that she saw me even in her elderly days she would make me a peach cobbler! I can taste it now...
Again thanks for the recipe ....printing it off so that I will always have it!
xxxxxx

P.S.  what did you do for fun on your birthday?
have a wonderful Mother's Day!

[rosebud]

That's exactly how I make my sweet ice tea. However, the past year or so I have added fresh oranges instead of lemons. I live in Louisiana and we were raised on ice tea. We never knew much about Coke or any of the others. Nothing like sitting on the lake or the bayou with a nice frozen glass with ice tea in it. Yum Yum           

[cookie]

Rosebud...the orange slices in the tea sounds really, really good!
matter of fact I am going to make me some sweet tea right now...have not had a chance to use Mio's recipe yet cause of family issues...<<fun issues>>> so will do it now!