Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

Juicy strawberries, a bit of sugar, and some lemons—along with just a few simple steps—make this Southern strawberry sweet tea an easy summer favorite.

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Southern strawberry sweet tea is a fruity variation on classic iced tea that is a refreshing cold drink to enjoy on hot summer days. Using fresh, ripe strawberries to create a tasty simple syrup, this homemade strawberry iced tea recipe is the perfect drink to serve at a garden party or barbecue.

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Ingredients

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The combination of the sweet and tangy flavor of strawberry, mixed with the classic southern sweetness of the tea, creates an indescribable taste that can only be experienced.

This drink is perfect on a hot day when all you need is something cool to quench your thirst

You’ll need:

For The Strawberry Simple Syrup:

• 3 cups of strawberries, washed and stems removed, then sliced (they should measure 3 cups after they are sliced) 
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar

PRO TIP:

This recipe uses 20-ounces of strawberries. You’ll want three cups of sliced strawberries plus 6 to 8 strawberries for garnish.

For The Sweet Tea:

• 3 cups of boiling water
• 3 family-sized Lipton original tea bags (or 9 regular-sized tea bags)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 8 cups of cold water in a large pitcher
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges for garnish in a glass
• 6 to 8 strawberries, washed but leave stems on, with a cut on the bottom for garnish on the glass
• Ice cubes

PRO TIP:

For the most intense strawberry flavor, this recipe works best with very ripe strawberries. While you can enjoy it all year round, strawberry iced tea is tastiest in the summer when strawberries are in season and at their juiciest.

Substitutions And Additions

TEA: A family-sized tea bag is equal to 3 regular-sized tea bags. For this recipe, if you only have the regular size on hand, you can just substitute a total of 9 tea bags to make this version of sweet tea. You can also use your preferred brand or type of tea as the foundation.

SUGAR: For a lower-calorie version of this strawberry sweet tea, you could swap the two cups of sugar for a ¼ cup of stevia. Another good alternative to sugar is 1½ cups of honey which gives an added layer of flavor.

STRAWBERRIES: If you don’t have enough strawberries, you could add other soft fruits, such as raspberries or blackberries.

ALCOHOL: To turn this sweet tea into a boozy cocktail, simply add a shot of your favorite liquor. Rum, vodka, or bourbon all add complementary flavors and are sure to get your party buzzing.

How To Make This Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe

The first part of making this refreshing drink is to prepare the strawberry simple syrup, which will only take a few minutes on the stovetop. Next, you can mix up the tea before chilling and serving.

STEP ONE: Wash the strawberries. Set 6 to 8 strawberries aside to use as garnish. With the remaining strawberries, remove the stems and slice them. You should now have 3 cups of sliced strawberries.

STEP TWO: In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, and the sliced strawberries. Cook over medium to high heat until the mixture reaches boiling point.

STEP THREE: Reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft and the liquid is a deep red color.

STEP FOUR: Using a mesh strainer, strain the strawberry syrup into a large pitcher. Press down on the strawberries gently to get the juice out, but be sure to not press too hard. You don’t want any strawberry chunks in your sweet tea!

STEP FIVE: Add 3 cups of boiling water to a large jug. Place 3 family-sized tea bags into the hot water and let them steep for 5 minutes before removing the tea bags. Add 1 cup of sugar and stir well.

STEP SIX: Pour the jug of tea into the pitcher with the strawberry syrup and add 8 cups of cold water. Stir well and add the juice from 1 large lemon.

STEP SEVEN: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until very cold.

How To Serve

Add sliced strawberries, lemons, and ice to the pitcher. Add a slice of lemon to the rim of each glass as garnish and serve with a straw.

This tasty and refreshing drink would be lovely served with a tasty dessert such as our mint chip dessert lasagna or lemon lasagna.

Want more fruity party drink ideas? How about a refreshing orange sherbet punch? Or a yummy homemade raspberry lemonade?

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Storage

Here’s how you can keep any leftovers of the tea to quench your thirst a little later in the day:

IN THE FRIDGE: Strawberry iced tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

IN THE FREEZER: This drink is best served right away, and we don’t recommend freezing it.

Southern strawberry sweet tea is just the thing a lazy summer day or a fun backyard bash needs. The addition of fresh strawberries to the sweet tea gives this recipe a summer feel that’s perfectly refreshing and begs you to pull up a chair and just relax.

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Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

5 from 6 votes

Juicy strawberries, a bit of sugar, and some lemons—along with just a few simple steps—make this Southern strawberry sweet tea an easy summer favorite.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 14

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Ingredients

  

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Strawberry Simple Syrup

• 3 cups strawberries, washed and stems removed, then sliced (should measure three cups after they are sliced) 
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Sweet Tea

• 3 cups boiling water
• 3 family-sized Lipton original tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 cups cold water, in a large pitcher
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges for garnish in glass
• 6 to 8 strawberries, washed but leave stems on, with a cut on the bottom for garnish on the glass
• ice

Instructions

 

• In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and sliced strawberries. Cook over medium-high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until strawberries are soft and the liquid is a deep red color.
• Strain the strawberries using a mesh strainer into your pitcher. Press down on the strawberries gently, but make sure to not press too hard. You don’t want any strawberry chunks in your sweet tea.
• While the strawberry simple syrup is cooling in the pitcher, add 3 cups of hot water to a large bowl. Place 3 family-sized tea bags into the hot water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags from the bowl and throw them away.
• Add 1 cup of sugar into the bowl with the tea and stir well.
• Dump the sweet tea from the bowl to the pitcher.
• Add 8 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir well.
• Add the juice from 1 large lemon to your sweet tea and mix well.
• Cover the pitcher and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or until very cold. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• This recipe uses 20-ounces of strawberries. You’ll want three cups of sliced strawberries plus 6 to 8 strawberries for garnish. 
• For the most intense strawberry flavor, this recipe works best with very ripe strawberries. While you can enjoy it all year round, strawberry iced tea is tastiest in the summer when strawberries are in season and at their juiciest.
• This recipe makes quite a lot of tea, so you’ll need either a very large pitcher or two medium-sized ones. If you’re not having a party and just want to make a drink to enjoy yourself at home, we suggest using smaller quantities of all the ingredients.
• You can adjust the number of tea bags to vary the strength of your tea. For a stronger tea, add an extra tea bag and steep for an extra five minutes. For a lighter-colored tea, use only two tea bags and add extra water.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

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