Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

hands pouring southern strawberry sweet iced tea into glasses

4.84 from 12 votes

Made with an easy homemade strawberry syrup, this Southern strawberry sweet tea recipe has the color, the flavor, and the sweetness that store-bought can never get right! It's easy to make and irresistible, our go-to drink all spring and summer.

Prep Time3

Cook Time15

Total Time18

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

Brew Tea

4 quarts water
5 black tea bags family sized
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Ice or frozen strawberries, for serving

Strawberry Simple Syrup

3 cups ripe strawberries hulled
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Strawberry Simple Syrup

In a medium saucepan, bring the cold water, strawberries, and sugar to a boil. Let boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2 cups granulated sugar, 1½ cups water, 3 cups ripe strawberries
Lower the temperature to medium-high heat to simmer for 5 minutes, until strawberries' color has drained into the water. Stir in the lemon juice at the end. Strain the strawberry syrup through a fine mesh sieve and pour it into your large pitcher.
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Make Strawberry Iced Tea

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then turn off the heat. Add the black tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags.
4 quarts water, 5 black tea bags
Add the baking soda and stir. Let the tea cool for 5 minutes.
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Add the strawberry simple syrup, pour in the brewed tea, and stir well. Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To serve, add ice and/or frozen strawberries to serving glasses, then pour strawberry iced tea into glasses.
Ice

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Fridge — Keep your strawberry sweet tea in a covered pitcher or airtight container for up to 3-4 days. After that the tea starts to turn. If it smells off, trust your nose and toss it.
Freezer — You can freeze the strawberry syrup separately for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and brew a fresh batch of tea when you're ready. The fully assembled tea doesn't freeze well.
Make Ahead — The syrup is the best thing to make ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, so during strawberry season you can make a big batch and have pitchers of this ready all summer with barely any effort.

Nutrition