Lemon Sweet Tea

Make the simple syrup

1. Use a paring knife to slice the peel off of the lemons, then set aside for a minute.
2. To a small saucepan, add 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over MED heat. Once boiling, add lemon peels and boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is clear (aside from the lemon peels).
3. Set simple syrup aside to cool.

Make the tea concentrate

1. Tie tea bags together at the top (by the tags). This makes it a lot easier to remove all the tea bags at once.
2. In another larger saucepan, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a minute or so.
3. Add tea bags and let steep for 5-6 minutes. Remove tea bags, but don't squeeze the tea bags (this could make the tea bitter).
4. Transfer hot tea mixture to a large gallon-sized pitcher, or several smaller pitchers.

Put it all together

1. Place a strainer over the pitcher and pour in the cooled simple syrup through a strainer to remove the lemon peels.
2. Add baking soda and 10 cups of cold water, stirring well to combine.
3. Cover pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until cold.

Serve

1. Serve over ice, garnished with a lemon wedge/slice and a sprig of rosemary if desired.