Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea

Name: Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 black-tea bags; 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large); 1 cup water, plus more for steeping; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving; Ice, for serving

Recipe photo courtesy of Simon Watson

Strawberries and basil give nuance to iced tea. The drink is toted in an old-fashioned glass jar, with ice added just before serving. Small bags of pistachios are the perfect accompaniment.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, July 2009

8 Makes 2 quarts

Servings Yield

Ingredients

8 black-tea bags
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large)
1 cup water, plus more for steeping
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
Ice, for serving

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add tea bags, and let steep for 5 minutes.
2. Place strawberries in a bowl. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add basil, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain over strawberries; discard basil. Toss to coat. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Combine strawberries (with syrup) and tea in a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice, and garnish with basil.

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Reviews

How would you rate this recipe?

yippee1999

13 SEP, 2017

One thing I'm stumped about is.... so I put an entire pound of 'mushy' strawberries directly into the tea and pitcher? And they just sort of ...er...'float around' in the bottom of the pitcher looking all gross and with most of their color 'washed out'? I'm not sure I get why I'd want to do that? And will I be drinking bits of mushy strawberry in my tea? Why not just remove the strawberries entirely from the mix, and after they've steeped in the basil and hot sugar water?
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- yippee1999
  
  13 SEP, 2017
  
  Also the recipe says '1 cup water plus more for steeping'. But that makes no sense, as the recipe says 'bring (1 cup) water plus (3/4 cup) sugar to boil, remove from heat, add basil and steep.' So when and how much 'extra water' are we supposed to add, when the basil is already in sufficient water/sugar for steeping?
MS10573409

1 AUG, 2014

I had to write this review considering I've made it two days in a row and can't stop drinking it. I've been making this iced tea for several summers now and I've never had a guest not gush over it. The flavours are the perfect blend that compliment the tea. I specifically grow basil ever summer for the recipe and the basil never seems to grow fast enough for me to have this drink. The best part is eating the strawberries at the end. Make it, you won't be disappointed.
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c6430hp

1 OCT, 2011

Firstly, I doubled the recipe. The recipe didn't seem like enough. Then I added two, thin slices of jalopeno pepper to each glass. Perfect touch: just a little zing. Do you know the Pepper Theory? Anita, of Anita's Cocina, in Wickenburg, AZ told it to me. "Eating a pepper is like taking a bullet. You never know what it's going to do. Same with peppers. Some are hot. Some aren't. Some are supposed to be hot, but they're not. Some aren't supposed to be hot, but they are. You just never know."
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nanopia

29 JUN, 2010

I wasn't wowed by this really. I don't taste the strawberries at all. This is great if you like sweet tea, But I wish I had gotten some lemons to sour it up!
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