Description
A refreshing and sweet strawberry-infused black tea perfect for summer. This homemade strawberry sweet tea combines brewed black tea with a homemade strawberry syrup, offering a sweet and fruity beverage that’s best served chilled 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 tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes to extract the tea flavors.
- Remove tea bags and combine tea: Remove the tea bags from the water, squeezing excess tea out with tongs. Transfer the brewed tea into a large pitcher along with 4 additional cups of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda, stirring gently.
- Prepare strawberry syrup: In the same saucepan, add the remaining 2 cups of water, chopped strawberries, and granulated sugar. Bring to a low simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes, allowing the strawberries to release their juice and the sugar to dissolve.
- Cool and strain syrup: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the strawberry syrup to cool slightly. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small cup or pitcher, pressing the berries to extract as much juice as possible.
- Combine and serve: Pour the strawberry syrup into the large pitcher with the brewed tea and stir to combine. Serve the strawberry sweet tea over ice for a refreshing drink.
Notes
- Store strawberry sweet tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- For a less sweet version, reduce the sugar by half to highlight a fruitier flavor.
- Add lemon juice for a zesty twist.
- Use very ripe strawberries for the most intense flavor; the recipe is best during strawberry season in summer.
- Start with cold water to avoid cloudiness caused by tannins from boiling warm or room temperature water.
- Do not over-steep the tea to prevent bitterness; 5 minutes is ideal.
- Add ice to individual glasses rather than the pitcher to avoid watering down the tea.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
