This strawberry iced tea is made with fresh strawberries, black tea, lemon juice, and sugar for a cold, fruity drink that is easy to make by the pitcher. Instead of cooking a strawberry syrup, the berries are blended and stirred right into the tea for a fresher flavor.
My Strawberry Iced Tea Method
I don’t think strawberry iced tea needs a cooked syrup. It adds time and can make the berries taste more jammy than fresh. For this recipe, I blend ripe strawberries and stir them straight into the tea, which gives the drink a cleaner, brighter strawberry flavor. It’s closer to the fresh fruit flavor of agua fresca than to a syrup-based iced tea.
If you want the tea really smooth, strain the puree. If you want it to taste extra fruity, leave it alone. The most important step is to chill the pitcher before serving so the strawberry flavor has time to settle into the tea and the drink tastes bright, smooth, and balanced.
What Makes This Strawberry Iced Tea Taste Fresh
Because the strawberries are blended straight into the tea, the flavor depends on the berries more than anything else. Use ripe strawberries if you can, and balance them with black tea, sugar, and lemon so the drink tastes fresh instead of flat.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Strawberries: Fresh, ripe strawberries are best here because they are the main flavor. Hull them before blending. If using frozen strawberries, thaw them first so they blend smoothly.
- Black tea bags: Plain black tea gives the drink a classic iced tea base and keeps the strawberries from tasting overly sweet. Avoid flavored teas unless you want that flavor in the final pitcher.
- Sugar: Stir it into the hot tea so it dissolves completely. Start with the recipe amount, then adjust after chilling if your strawberries are especially sweet or tart.
- Lemon juice: This is what sharpens the strawberry flavor. The tea should not taste lemony, just brighter and more balanced. For a stronger strawberry-lemon drink without tea, try my strawberry lemonade.
- Water: Use hot water to steep the tea, then cold water to finish the pitcher and cool everything down faster.
How to Make Strawberry Iced Tea
- Start by blending the strawberries until smooth. For a smoother tea, strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer before adding it to the pitcher, pressing gently with a spoon. Leave it unstrained if you like a little more fruit texture.
- Next, steep the tea bags in hot water, then stir in the sugar while the tea is still warm so it dissolves fully. Don’t let the tea steep too long, or it can taste bitter once chilled.
- Stir the strawberry puree, sweetened tea, lemon juice, and cold water together in a pitcher. Chill until very cold, then serve over ice.
Make It Ahead and Serve It Cold
- Strawberry iced tea tastes best after it has had time to chill, so it’s a good drink to make a few hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and stir before serving, especially if you left the strawberry puree unstrained.
- Add ice to the glasses instead of the pitcher unless you’re serving the whole batch right away. This keeps the tea from getting watered down.
- For the freshest flavor, drink it within 3 days. Add sliced strawberries, lemon, or mint just before serving.
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Strawberry Iced Tea
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Food processor, or blender
- Small saucepan or microwave safe bowl
- Large pitcher
- Long spoon
- Citrus juicer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (225 g) fresh strawberries hulled
- 6 cups (1.4 L) water divided
- 4 black tea bags
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice from about 1 large lemon
- Ice for serving
- Sliced fresh strawberries optional, for serving
- Fresh mint leaves optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- For a smoother tea, strain the strawberry puree through a fine mesh strainer, pressing gently with a spoon. Discard the seeds and thicker pulp, or leave the puree unstrained for more texture.
- Bring 1 cup (240 ml) water to a boil, 212°F (100°C). Remove from the heat and add the black tea bags.
- Steep for 5 minutes, until the tea is dark amber and stronger than regular drinking tea. Remove the tea bags without squeezing them.
- Add the sugar to the hot tea. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Pour the sweetened tea into the pitcher with the strawberry puree. Add the remaining 5 cups (1.2 L) water and the fresh lemon juice.
- Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chill until cold before serving.
- Serve over ice. Add sliced strawberries and fresh mint, if using.
Notes:
- The tea should be brewed strong because it is mixed with cold water and served over ice.
- Do not steep the tea longer than 7 minutes, or it can become bitter.
- For smooth iced tea, strain the strawberry puree. For a thicker texture with tiny strawberry seeds, you can skip straining.
- Do not add ice to the pitcher unless serving right away. Ice will melt and water down the tea.
- For stronger flavor without watering it down, freeze some of the finished tea in an ice cube tray and use those cubes for serving.
- ¾ cup sugar makes this sweet like classic iced tea. For a less sweet version, start with ½ cup (100 g) sugar and add more to taste while the tea is still hot.
- If the tea is already chilled and you want it sweeter, stir in simple syrup instead of granulated sugar.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir well before serving because the strawberry mixture can settle.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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