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–+ servings
Pitcher of Southern strawberry iced tea next to some fresh strawberries.
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Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

This Southern Strawberry Sweet Iced Tea is smooth, fruity, and refreshing—perfect for warm days, BBQs, or front porch sipping. Using gallon-sized tea bags makes it easy to prepare a big batch for sharing with friends and family on summer afternoons!
Author: Nikki Lee
Servings: 1 gallon
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon-sized black tea bags Luzianne or Lipton work great (4 family size tea bags or 16 regular size tea bags)
  • 8 cups boiling water for steeping
  • 8 cups cold water for dilution, divided

Strawberry Syrup

  • 1 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
  • 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced (or frozen, thawed)
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice optional, for brightness

For Serving

  • Ice for serving
  • Fresh strawberry slices & lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

  • Brew the Tea: Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot or kettle. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and let steep for 7-10 minutes (longer for stronger tea). Remove tea bags.
    1 gallon-sized black tea bags, 8 cups boiling water
  • Make the Strawberry Syrup: In a separate saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the strawberries soften and release their juices. Stir in lemon juice (if using). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract all the liquid. (Save the leftover strawberry pulp for yogurt, toast, or desserts!)
    1 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • Combine & Serve: In a gallon-sized pitcher, combine the brewed tea, strawberry syrup, and 7 cups of cold water. Stir well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled. Serve over ice, garnished with fresh strawberries and lemon slices.
    8 cups cold water

Notes

Makes 1 gallon | 16 cups
  • Don't rush the steeping process. 7-10 minutes, allow the tea to develop full flavor without becoming bitter.
  • If you're sensitive to sweetness, start with ¾ cup of sugar and adjust upward as needed.
  • Use fresh lemon juice! Fresh lemon juice adds the perfect tangy flavor that you just can’t get from the bottled stuff!
  • Chill before serving. Allow at least an hour of refrigeration before adding the ice and serving so that the ice doesn’t automatically melt and dilute the tea. 
  • Don't discard the strained strawberry pulp! It's delicious stirred into yogurt, spread on toast, or used as a topping for ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Find it online:

www.soulfullymade.com/southern-strawberry-sweet-iced-tea/