My mother put loose tea in a tea ball (like an infuser) & dropped it into boiling water.

When the water returned to a boil, she removed it from the heat, removed the tea ball, & added sugar & stirred.

When it had cooled somewhat, she added water until it was the desired strength.

3 important things (there may be more, I hve very few memory cells left!):

1. Do *not* pour hot tea into a glass pitcher; it'll break the glass.
2. Don't add ice cold water to hot tea; that'll make it cloudy.
3. Add sugar while the tea is still hot.
Sugar dissolves in hot liquid.
If you add sugar to cool or cold tea, it'll be suspended in the liquid, but it won't dissolve, & the tea will get less & less sweet as the sugar settles to the bottom of the pitcher or glass.

Remove tea leaves from tea ball & put 'em in the garden!

Sylvia, thanks!! I am going to use a glass pitcher, glad you mentioned that. Maybe rinsing it out with hot water first would work? I was gonna use teabags, that should work too, right?

petra,
I get a 'gallon' jug....glass...plastic..lol .. either works.......
I buy the "COLD BREW LIPTON TEA BAGS" (I once used regular tea bags you boiled...no more..the COLD BREW is just as good and just as strong)
Fill the gallon jug up with water put 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar in the water...stir a bit........
then open 2 "large" or 4 "small" tea bags...leave the strings attached.(and the pouch intack...you don't want loose tea grounds!..its easy!!)....tie the ends of the strings togather at the tip ends.......
get a large spoon...
place it over the top of the jug.......so it lays across the top of the jug (like a bridge).......drape tied tea bags (strings) over the spoon handle......and let the bags float in the water (you want it to sink..thats even better..it will sink all by itself..but you can push it down w/your spoon (gently, you don't want the bags to break) let it soak for about 20 or more minutes (the longer the tea bags soak the stronger the tea (the better) ..you want it to become a dark color after stirring (like you see in restraunts!).......Pull the tea bags out (squeeze out and throw away).....
STIR...STIR...STIR..(until the sugar is melted)..............
Its that easy!!!!!!!
Add ice to glass..fill with tea
Easy!!!!! Cheap!!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!
Sooo Easy!! and Sooo Good!!
Dena

I'm not from Texas so I totally cheat and use tea bags. Add the sugar while it's hot is important! Otherwise you just end up with a tea "snowstorm" and no sweet! I'd also make a plain pitcher. Some people HATE sugar in their tea. PJ

Quart of water, two 'family size' tea bags and a cup of sugar into a pan/pot. Heat until almost boiling, turn off, stir gently so you don't break the bags and cover until fairly cool.

Pour into a non-metal pitcher, add ice &/or water until full. Stick it in the ice box until it's really cold!

Wow, thanks, you guys!! With all those instructions, I have no excuse to screw it up now, hehe.

I have a 1/2 gal pitcher I fill with water, microwave 8 minutes, then add 2 family tea bags for 20-30 min. Remove the tea bags, add suger & rerigerate.
I have an English friend that insists that that the hot water MUST be poured over the tea bags to get clear tea....and hers is always clear.

too-easy, foolproof method...
remove the coffee section from your drip coffee maker, fill with water as if making a full pot of coffee. put two family sized tea bags (strings dangling ouside) in pot. when 'brew' (the longer it steeps, the stronger) cycle is finished , squeeze excess from bags with spoons, add sugar and stir, then add to pitcher of cold water, refrigerate til cold...pour over lots of ice to serve! and dont forget the lemon and lime wedges! (and yes, do make unsweetened also!) enjoy your bbq and tea and company! jo

Thanks for all the help, the tea turned out great!! I think I'll make it often now that I know how. :o)

Since all these "tea" people are here, I have a question.

I like to use loose tea. I know it's probably mental, but I swear I can taste tea bags. It's like it buffers the flavor a bit. Anyway - I can no longer find the loose tea. any suggestions on where to get it?

Whole Foods, do y'all have one?

Just "Whole foods"? Is that owned by HEB?

No, Central Market is , do y'all have those?
Here's Whole Foods Market link, sorry used to just saying Whole Foods, lol

Here is a link that might be useful: Whole Foods Market

Wow, I didn't know there was so many ways to make tea LOL.
I use to boil it but found out it taste much better just by letting it seep in hot water for five to ten minutes,take tea bags out then add sugar while hot, add water. For one gallon I use 4 reg. tea bags one cup of sugar, use less if you don't like it to sweet. I now use splenda though.
Fill glasses full to the top with ice, fill glass half way with tea and add more ice if needed, if no ice is needed continue filling glass with tea but watch for ice melting, you may wish to add more ice.
I prefer severing freshly made tea over ice, over making it ahead of time and refrigerating it.

If you grow mint you can add a sprig on top or a fresh slice of lemon on the side of the glass. To place lemon on the side simply slice the whole lemon, take one round slice cut it in half and put a slit in the half that way it will stay on the side of the glass.