Strawberry Southern Sweet Tea

This Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea recipe is just what you need on a hot summer day!

Using easy ingredients and fresh strawberries, this recipe has an amazing flavor that you will enjoy all year long! Make this your go to drink for summer backyard barbecues or whip up a pitcher when going to the pool.

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If you're looking for a new sweet tea recipe, then this is definitely one to try! Strawberries come into season from March until June, depending on where you live, so this is the perfect summer thirst quencher!

Why stop and get a strawberry iced tea from Starbucks when you can make pitchers of this drink for the exact same price! Use your favorite brand of tea, whether it be Lipton, Pure Leaf, Gold Peak, or another brand, to make this recipe and add a little extra flavor to your favorite drink.

If you're in love with strawberries, then serve this drink next to a strawberry delight or another strawberry dessert. You can also make this tea with another type of berry like blueberries, raspberries, and even blackberries!

STRAWBERRY SIMPLE SYRUP INGREDIENTS

• 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 INGREDIENTS

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

The main ingredients for this Lipton southern sweet tea recipe are of course tea bags, fresh strawberries, sweetener, lemon, and ice!

Made with a homemade strawberry simple syrup, this recipe will please all of your family and friends the next time you have them over for dinner. This recipe is budget friendly and so much cheaper than buying sweet tea straight from the grocery store.

EASY INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

• Different sweeteners of your choice can be used in place of the sugar. Our favorites are Stevia, coconut sugar, agave nectar, and honey. You'll have to play around with the different amounts of each to add to this recipe as it's not a 1:1 ratio for all sugar substitutions.
• If you don't have any lemons on hand, you can always use bottled lemon juice.
• Family sized tea bags equal 3 regular sized tea bags. If you don't have the family sized on hand, just use 9 regular tea bags!

HOW TO MAKE THIS Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe

FIRST STEP: In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and sliced strawberries. Cook over medium-high and bring to a boil.

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

THIRD STEP: 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.

FOURTH STEP: 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 away.

FIFTH STEP: Add 1 cup of sugar into the bowl with the tea and stir well.

SIXTH STEP: Dump the sweet tea from the bowl to the pitcher.

SEVENTH STEP: 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.

EIGHTH STEP: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate 2-3 hours, or until very cold. Serve over ice and enjoy!

SWEET TEA TIPS & TRICKS:

For the most intense strawberry flavor, this recipe works best with very ripe strawberries.

This recipe makes quite a lot of tea, so you’ll need either a very large pitcher or two medium-sized ones.

You can adjust the number of tea bags to vary the strength of your tea. For 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.

STORING THIS RECIPE

IN THE FRIDGE: Store in a covered pitcher in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Since this is a hot brewed tea, it is recommended to drink it within 8 hours of brewing.

IN THE FREEZER: Store in a covered container for up to 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to leave room for expansion in the container when filling the container for freezing.