Place the tea bags (use four if you like weak tea) in the bottom of a metal or glass container -- NEVER, repeat, never in a plastic container.
- 6 standard tea bags
- 1 quart water
Bring the water almost to the boiling point, but do not bring to a rolling boil; over-boiling the water makes the tea taste flat.
Pour the water over the tea bags and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, or refrigerate. Never dilute the tea in the pitcher with ice.
To serve -- Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the tea over it, and sweeten to taste. Serve guests with a long spoon, an available sugar bowl or packts of (yuck) artificial sweetener, and a lemon wedge on the side of each glass.
I hear that some people put fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the pitcher with the tea bags and let them steep, but this sounds like a Georgia thing to me, and ain't a New Orleans thing.