Southern Sweet Tea

As a Southern girl weaned on Sweet Tea, I have a few hints for real Tea Texas style. I was in college before I knew anyone drank Iced Tea that wasn't sweet. Momma alway used Lipton loose leaf that was added to a pot of boiling water( no sugar yet.) She turned the flame off and put a lid on it to steep the tea at least 5 minutes. Then the sugar was added to the still hot tea. This was strained into a pitcher then more water was added to the pot and poured through the tea leaves in the strainer to get all the flavor using less tea leaves. I am lazy and use tea bags. For a gallon of good strong tea, I use just 3 family size bags( 3 small ones equals 1 family size.) I remove the bags before stirring in the sugar but save them. After pouring the hot sweet tea into Gallon pitcher, I add cool water to the pot and dunk the tea bags in it a few times before adding it to the pitcher. This keep the tea strong to go over ice.
This house wine of the South is best served with lemon and sprigs of mint.

Lipton makes a tea bag with this name and takes 2 family size bags. I tried it and it was to sweet for me so I added more water to weaken it. Being from the south, I'm still not a tea drinker but trying to get off diet soda so gave this tea a try. It already has sucralose in it so no need for sugar unless you like extra sweet. I prefer the real way!!

I have made this tea with stevia and loved it. Do you think the taste is different to the version made with sugar? Any recipes for peach tea?
Charlene..all the way from Malta in the Med