Description
A refreshing homemade Strawberry Sweet Tea featuring freshly brewed black tea combined with a sweet strawberry syrup, perfect for summer sipping over ice.
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 steep tea: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the 8 black tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes to extract flavor without bitterness.
- Remove tea bags and combine tea: Remove the tea bags, squeezing out excess tea with tongs. Transfer the brewed tea into a large pitcher with 4 additional cups of water and 1 tsp baking soda, stirring gently.
- Make strawberry syrup: Using the same saucepan, add the remaining 2 cups water, chopped strawberries, and 1½ cups granulated sugar. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes until syrupy and flavors meld.
- Strain strawberry syrup: Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a small cup or pitcher, pressing the juice out of the strawberries to capture maximum flavor.
- Combine and serve: Add the strawberry syrup to the large pitcher containing the tea mixture and stir well. Pour the strawberry sweet tea over ice in individual glasses and enjoy.
Notes
- Store the strawberry sweet tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- You can reduce the sugar by half for a fruitier, less sweet flavor.
- Add lemon juice for extra zest and brightness.
- Use ripe strawberries for the most intense flavor, ideally in season during summer.
- Start with cold water to avoid cloudiness caused by tannins when boiling warm water.
- Do not skip the 5-minute steep time to extract the best tea flavor without bitterness.
- Add ice to individual glasses, not the pitcher, to prevent dilution.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
