Description
Refreshing and flavorful strawberry sweet tea, perfect for summer gatherings. This recipe combines freshly brewed black tea with a homemade strawberry syrup for a perfectly sweetened iced tea experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Tea
- 2 cups water
- 8 black tea bags
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp baking soda
Strawberry Syrup
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups strawberries, chopped
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Boil Water and Brew Tea: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes to extract flavor.
- Remove Tea Bags: Take out the tea bags, squeezing any excess tea out with tongs to maximize flavor.
- Combine Tea Base: Transfer the brewed tea into a large pitcher, add 4 additional cups of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Stir gently.
- Make Strawberry Syrup: In the same saucepan, add the remaining 2 cups water, chopped strawberries, and 1½ cups sugar. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes to release the strawberry flavor and dissolve the sugar.
- Cool and Strain Syrup: Remove the syrup from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Strain the strawberries through a fine mesh sieve pressing to extract as much juice as possible.
- Mix Tea and Syrup: Add the strained strawberry syrup to the large pitcher with the tea and stir well to combine.
- Serve: Pour the strawberry sweet tea over ice in individual glasses and enjoy chilled.
Notes
- Store strawberry sweet tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To reduce sweetness and highlight fruit flavor, halve the sugar quantity.
- Add a splash of lemon juice for a refreshing tangy zest.
- Use ripe, juicy strawberries for the most intense flavor, ideally during summer season.
- Start with cold water for brewing to avoid cloudiness from tannins.
- Do not steep tea too long to prevent bitterness; 5 minutes is ideal.
- Add ice to glasses instead of the pitcher to avoid diluting the tea before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
