Written By: Brian Harrell

April 3, 2014

Introduction Picture this. It is a beautiful sunny day, there is a gentle breeze blowing through the trees as you sit around a picnic table with close friends. The grill is fired up and the smell of burgers and sausages wafts through the air. The only thing missing is a nice tall glass of homemade, strawberry sweet tea. Whether you are planning a fun picnic, or just an evening with friends, a pitcher of strawberry sweet tea is sure to impress friends and family. With the help of this instruction set, you will be able to make a superb pitcher of strawberry sweet tea even with no prior cooking experience. The recipe will cover the following processes:

Preparing the ingredients Heating and steeping the ingredients

The following recipe will make one quart of strawberry sweet tea and will serve three to four people. For larger events, the recipe should be multiplied using the same method described in these instructions. This recipe is simple, delicious and will cost you less than $3.50 per quart. In addition, this homemade sweet tea recipe uses only the sugar, tea and fruit, and is much healthier than many store bought teas. This recipe will take approximately:

5 minutes (to prep) 20 minutes (to make) 45 60 minutes (to chill prior to serving)

Ingredients & Utensils

In order to make strawberry sweet tea, you will need the following ingredients and utensils:

1 cup (8 ounces) of strawberries, washed cup of granulated sugar 1 teaspoon of baking soda 4 tea bags (green or black tea) 1 large cooking pot 1 wet and 1 dry measuring cup 1 teaspoon measuring spoon knife and cutting board spoon or ladle strainer (not pictured) funnel (optional)

Useful Tips & Modifications It is best to pre-measure the ingredients in order to save time during the cooking

process. Green or black tea can be used depending on preference. Green tea will result

in a lighter flavor. Other fruit such as peaches, blueberries and raspberries can be substituted

depending upon flavor. Fresh mint leaves or mint extract can be added to make strawberry-mint tea.

(see step 6) Step 1 Measure 4 cups of water and pour it into the cooking pot. For larger batches, be sure to leave room to add the berries, sugar and tea. Step 2 Measure 1 teaspoon of baking soda and stir it into the water. The baking soda is used to balance out the natural acidity of the tea and give it a softer taste.

Step 3 Place the pot of water on the stove on high heat and bring the water to a boil. Optional: The pot can be covered in order to speed the boiling process.

Step 4 Wash the strawberries and cut the tops off of them using the knife and cutting board and dispose of the tops. Be sure that the strawberries are clean before cutting them. Optional: This step can be completed beforehand.

Step 5 Remove the strings and tags from the tea bags. This is done so that the paper does not dissolve in the tea. Optional: This step can be completed beforehand.

Use caution when working around a hot stove!

Use caution when working with knives!

Step 6 Once the water has come to a boil, add the strawberries and tea bags to the pot. Lower the heat to medium. Optional: For strawberry-mint iced tea, add teaspoon of mint extract at this time.

Step 7 Add the sugar to the pot. Stir the mixture to ensure that the sugar dissolves well. Step 8 Leave the mixture on the stove, over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 7 minutes, the strawberries should puff up and become very soft. Note: If this has not happened after 7 minutes, leave the mixture on the stove, on medium heat until the strawberries become soft (see the image to the right.)

Use caution when adding the strawberries, the boiling water may splash.

Step 9 Once the berries have become soft, use the spoon or ladle to squish the berries and release their juices. Use the back of the spoon and squish the berries by pressing them against the edge of the pot (shown in the image to the right.) Step 10 Remove the pot from the stove and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. This will help to increase the flavor of the tea by allowing the berries to steep for extra time. Step 11 Pour the tea mixture through a strainer and into a pitcher. The strainer will catch all of the berry pieces and the tea bags. Optional: A funnel can be used in addition to the strainer for small pitchers.

Step 12 Cover the pitcher and place it in the freezer or refrigerator to cool down. Be sure not to leave it in the freezer for an extended period of time. Finished! Serve the tea over ice and enjoy! Guaranteed to be a hit at your next picnic or event.