Super Refreshing Strawberry Iced Tea
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This strawberry iced tea is a fruity and ridiculously refreshing summer drink! It’s made from scratch with black (or green) tea and homemade strawberry syrup for a simple but elevated iced tea recipe. Mixed up in a pitcher, this tea is perfectly sweet, full of strawberry flavor, and great for a crowd!
Now that we’re in the dog days of summer, I’ll do just about anything to stay cool. Aside from giving up hot coffee cause you can’t make me. But I digress. I’d do scandalous things to stay cool as the temperatures hit the triple digits this week. Send help. And maybe a pool.
Left to my own devices, my go-to cooling method is a classic drink. A strawberry one because I have to take full advantage of prime strawberry season when I can. My usual go-tos are a strawberry gin smash or a spiked strawberry lemonade.
But this iced tea is quickly becoming a new favorite. It’s refreshing and juicy, plus it’s non-alcoholic which means I can still have a special drink before the socially-acceptable hour of 5pm. Join me, friends.
The tea I want to drink all summer long
Every once in a while, I get an intense craving for iced tea and I cannot be stopped until I have it. Back when I was a barista in college, I learned how to make the best fruit-flavored iced teas. And ever since, it’s my ideal drink when I want more coffee but know deep down that I’ll get the caffeine shakes if I give in. Here’s a few highlights!
- The iced tea is so easy to make.
- Customize it with whatever tea you have on hand.
- It’s made in a pitcher, so it’s great for parties and BBQs.
- The syrup adds an intense pop of strawberry flavor.
3 super simple ingredients
- Strawberries – fresh or frozen will work in this recipe. You can also try raspberries, blueberries, or peaches.
- Sugar – regular granulated white sugar will sweeten the simple syrup. I haven’t tried it with honey or maple syrup, but those would probably work too.
- Black tea – I like loose-leaf tea but tea bags are also great! Feel free to try green or herbal tea.
This is a trick I learned in culinary school. For the best flavor, use super ripe strawberries (or whatever fruit you want to use). It will make the simple syrup more intense which will make the fruity flavor really shine through in the strawberry black tea! This is the perfect time to use up some berries that are a little too ripe but still fine to eat.
Let’s make iced tea
Strawberry simple syrup
- Pour the strawberries, sugar, and water into a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves.
- Use a wooden spoon to smash the berries into the syrup. Then, bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Let the syrup cool completely and then strain it into a jar.
Iced tea & assembly
- Bring the water to a boil and place the loose-leaf tea or tea bags into a heat-safe container.
- Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves and steep for 4-5 minutes. Remove the tea bags or strain the tea into a heat-safe container through a fine-mesh sieve. Cool & refrigerate until cold.
- Add the strawberry syrup to taste. Serve over ice and garnish with strawberries, basil, or mint.
If you don’t have a tea kettle, you can make the tea on the stove. Just pour the water into a large pot. Then, bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add the loose-leaf tea or tea bags. Steep for 4-5 minutes, strain into a heat-safe container, and refrigerate until chilled.
Caffeine free
If you use regular black or green tea, it will have caffeine in it. For caffeine-free iced tea, use decaf black or green tea. Or, try an herbal tea like Rooibos, chamomile, or even herbal strawberry tea.
Servings
This recipe will make 8 cups which is 6-8 servings. Feel free to double or even triple this recipe if you’re throwing a big party! You can store the tea in pitchers or even gallon jugs.
If you’re making this recipe for a crowd, serve the syrup and tea separately. Since everyone has different preferences on sweetness, your guests can just add as much syrup as they’d like to their own glasses of strawberry black tea!
Tea tips!
- Use a fine-mesh sieve for the syrup and tea. It’s the best way to remove tea leaves and tiny strawberry seeds.
- Make sure to bring the water to a boil. Boiled water will bring out all of the flavors in the tea leaves without making it bitter.
- Don’t over-steep the tea. Otherwise, it might end up bitter. 4-5 minutes should do the trick!
- Add a splash of lemonade for a strawberry Arnold Palmer. Either homemade or store-bought lemonade will work!
Make-ahead & chill
Feel free to make this tea a few days in advance! If you have any leftovers, cover the pitcher and refrigerate the iced tea for up to 5 days. Give the tea a good stir before pouring, because the syrup will sink to the bottom.
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Strawberry Iced Tea
Ingredients
Strawberry Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sliced ripe strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Iced Tea & Assembly
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup loose-leaf black tea (or 8 tea bags)
- Sliced strawberries, basil, or mint, for garnish
Equipment
- Tea kettle (optional)
- Large pitcher
Instructions
Strawberry Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to smash the berries with the back of a spoon.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool completely.
- Once cooled, pour the syrup into a jar through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the pulp and seeds. Discard the pulp and set the syrup aside for later.
Iced Tea & Assembly
- Pour the water into a tea kettle and bring it to a boil.
- Add the loose-leaf tea or tea bags to a heat-safe container. Pour the boiling water over the tea and steep for 4-5 minutes.
- Strain the loose tea into a pitcher through a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags. Let the tea cool, and then refrigerate until chilled.
- To assemble the tea, add 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Taste and add more if desired.
- Serve the tea over ice and garnish with sliced strawberries, basil, or mint. Enjoy!