Petty Vent

[2vermont]

Iced Tea needs to be advertised as sweetened or unsweetened. I shouldn't have to ask. I hate unsweetened iced tea. I mean what's the point?

/vent

[zelda25]

That's weird--for several reasons, it should be clearly called out as either sweetened or unsweetened.

Speaking of tea: I hate it in all forms, but I've been making it for H to help him kick his soda habit. If I make a gallon of iced tea, how long can he drink on that? Will it mold or something after several days?

I've been nursing 3qts of iced coffee for a week or so and it's fine, but don't know tea.

[copzgirl1171]

I can't drink mine very sweet. Chick-fil-a has the grossest sweet tea. It's like snow cone syrup

[KateAggie]

Tea lasts quite awhile in the fridge...unsweetened, anyway. Maybe 3 weeks? Sweet Tea, I'd say 2 weeks.

I always assume tea is unsweetened unless otherwise noted. Especially when I'm not in the south.

[laurenpetro]

my southern friends hate when i say how much i love mcdonald's sweet tea.

[KateAggie]

Jun 15, 2012 16:12:26 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

I can't drink mine very sweet. Chick-fil-a has the grossest sweet tea. It's like snow cone syrup

Copz, you just broke my heart a little. I now think it's not fair that you get to eat at Chick-fil-a, while I don't have one even remotely close to me.

Stupid Truett Cathy and his insistence that my town is more sinful than the rest of America. If I didn't love capitalism so much, his behavior would sway me to the dark side.

[pixy0stix]

I never knew there was something called Sweet Tea until I had a business trip in the south. All tea was unsweetened unless you put your own sugar in, growing up.

[osulori]

Jun 15, 2012 16:17:29 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

All tea was unsweetened unless you put your own sugar in, growing up.

WORD. I'm starting to see sweet tea at a few places around here but only in the last few years. It too sweet for me and grosses me out but I could drink unsweetened all day.

[Deleted]

I looooooove sweet tea.

But I rarely drink it because it's just too much sugar in beverage form. H has been cutting down on his diet soda, and I don't drink it at all. So we've started going through at least 2 gallons of iced tea per week.

Lately I've been making a lot of Arnold Palmers, but I really should stop because of the sugar.

zelda, tea will keep for a few weeks although I'd be surprised if a gallon lasts him that long. Re: mold. My seventh grade science project was actually about the effects of caffeine on mold growth, and my conclusion was that caffeine inhibits mold growth. So if 7th grade harpy's experiment confirmed it, you KNOW it's true!

[emilyj]

Jun 15, 2012 16:17:29 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I never knew there was something called Sweet Tea until I had a business trip in the south. All tea was unsweetened unless you put your own sugar in, growing up.

This was me as well. When my mom comes to visit, I have to remind her now to order unsweet tea, and if she accidentally gets sweet tea, I have to remind her not to put Equal in it.

I just knew it as 'iced tea'.

[AJL]

I guess I always expect iced tea to be unsweetened. Already sweetened iced tea is always TOO sweet. If I want it sweet, I prefer to sweeten it myself.

I guess because Texas straddles the line between being the South and the West, I'm always surprised when people assume iced tea in the south is sweetened. 99% of the time you'll find iced tea unsweetened here.

Though, I will say that when you ask for tea in Texas, it IS going to be iced. When I was 19, I visited a friend in December in Michigan. We had dinner at his grandmother's house and she asked me how I took my tea. I looked at her funny and told her "usually in a regular tall glass." She said, "Oh! Like the Russians." I had NO idea what she meant until she served me a tall glass of hot tea, steeping teabag and everything. LOL!!!

[ChillyMcFreeze]

It never occurred to me to order "iced tea." Here, you specify "sweet" or "unsweet." I imagine if you ordered iced tea you'd get sweet. Yum.

[ttt]

Jun 15, 2012 16:15:56 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Jun 15, 2012 16:12:26 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

I can't drink mine very sweet. Chick-fil-a has the grossest sweet tea. It's like snow cone syrup

Copz, you just broke my heart a little. I now think it's not fair that you get to eat at Chick-fil-a, while I don't have one even remotely close to me.

Stupid Truett Cathy and his insistence that my town is more sinful than the rest of America. If I didn't love capitalism so much, his behavior would sway me to the dark side.

Is this really why?? :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

[IIOY]

I spent a shitton of time in Georgia growing up and I came to learn never to assume that "tea" = unsweetened. I always specify "unsweetened" down there and have actually been mocked on occasion, albeit gently, by servers and family when I opt for unsweetened: "Clearly you're not from around here!"

ETA: in fairness, it has changed since I was much younger and now I find unsweetened tea in GA to be a bit more common. At the very least, I'm no longer TEAsed for it.

[msmerymac]

We have sweet tea from Trader Joes at home. I never sweeten my own tea. I hated sweet tea until a few years ago. It's okay, but it's not thirst quenching, IMO. Sweet drinks just aren't.

I love regular iced tea. It's like water with a twist! THAT'S the point, 2V. That and the small amount of caffeine.

[ttt]

I'm with you 2V. I can't understand why anyone would want to drink unsweet tea. Blech.

[2vermont]

Jun 15, 2012 17:03:42 GMT -5 ttt said:

I'm with you 2V. I can't understand why anyone would want to drink unsweet tea. Blech.

Thatta girl!

Unsweetened tea is like unsweetened lemonade.

If there isn't any sugar in it, I'm so not there.

[IIOY]

Jun 15, 2012 17:03:42 GMT -5 ttt said:

I'm with you 2V. I can't understand why anyone would want to drink unsweet tea. Blech.

I assume anyone ordering unsweetened is adding artificial sweetener or wants to control the amount of real sugar going into the tea.

[ttt]

Jun 15, 2012 17:14:00 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Jun 15, 2012 17:03:42 GMT -5 ttt said:

I'm with you 2V. I can't understand why anyone would want to drink unsweet tea. Blech.

I assume anyone ordering unsweetened is adding artificial sweetener or wants to control the amount of real sugar going into the tea.

But sugar and sweetener doesn't dissolve in cold water! You have to put it in while the tea is hot, THEN I've it, otherwise you just have unsweet tea with a mass of sugar at the bottom. Which is only slightly less nasty than unsweet tea itself.

[IIOY]

Jun 15, 2012 17:18:10 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jun 15, 2012 17:14:00 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I assume anyone ordering unsweetened is adding artificial sweetener or wants to control the amount of real sugar going into the tea.

But sugar and sweetener doesn't dissolve in cold water! You have to put it in while the tea is hot, THEN I've it, otherwise you just have unsweet tea with a mass of sugar at the bottom. Which is only slightly less nasty than unsweet tea itself.

I'm with you in the sugar, but I use Splenda (and occasionally Equal) and they dissolve just fine.

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2012 17:26:51 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Jun 15, 2012 17:18:10 GMT -5 ttt said:

But sugar and sweetener doesn't dissolve in cold water! You have to put it in while the tea is hot, THEN I've it, otherwise you just have unsweet tea with a mass of sugar at the bottom. Which is only slightly less nasty than unsweet tea itself.

I'm with you in the sugar, but I use Splenda (and occasionally Equal) and they dissolve just fine.

Well, you know where I stand on the Splenda and Equal issue.

What I really like is to keep simple syrup on hand. I've just been too lazy to make any recently. That way, I can have sweet tea occasionally without making a whole pitcher and it avoids the dissolving issues.

[IIOY]

Jun 15, 2012 17:40:46 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

Jun 15, 2012 17:26:51 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I'm with you in the sugar, but I use Splenda (and occasionally Equal) and they dissolve just fine.

Well, you know where I stand on the Splenda and Equal issue.

{pours out a 40 of Arizona Iced Tea for harpy's tummy}

[Deleted]

LOL. It's tragic, isn't it?

But take a peek on MM to see what I'm drinking right now. HOLLER!

[Deleted]

Also, I'll have you know that I have the panda .gif permanently pulled up on my phone, so if I'm having a bad day, I just take a look at that and smile!

[heliocentric]

Sweetened tea is rank. Why bother? Just get soda.
Unsweetened is refreshing and magical.

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2012 16:36:29 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

It never occurred to me to order "iced tea." Here, you specify "sweet" or "unsweet." I imagine if you ordered iced tea you'd get sweet. Yum.

Yup.

But I didn't learn this until I was 14 and moved to texas. Prior to that I grew up in Jersey and who drank iced tea anyway except at catered events where people didn't want to pay for soda.

[giggity19]

I can only drink sweet tea that I sweeten myself. If I order tea in a restaurant, I order unsweet and use a sugar packet. NOT a gross blue or pink one.

But, the one place I will always order sweet tea is McAlister's. If you haven't tried their sweet tea, you're missing out.

[basilosaurus]

I'm the opposite, 2v. I hate sweet tea, and I'll get angry if I unexpectedly get some. Especially if it's green, it shouldn't be sweet.

Iloved japan where all the tea in vending machines was not sweet. Even now the only tea I'll buy if japanesebecause I know it's safe

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2012 20:50:14 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Iloved japan where all the tea in vending machines was not sweet. Even now the only tea I'll buy if japanesebecause I know it's safe

That would be so nice!

I wish it were easier to find bottled unsweetened tea when I'm out and about. It's the only sugar free drink I can have besides water, but it can be SO HARD to find!

[basilosaurus]

Do you have an asian market near you? I was able to get the exact same thing at the asian grocery in Denver that I got in Japan, so I know it's imported to states without much of a Japanese influence. Here in Hawaii, it's so easy to find that I get it at costco (cans and bottles). I usually keep a few cans in the car just so I have something other than water if the mood strikes.