Need a refreshing summer beverage? You will enjoy this organic strawberry orange ice tea! Fresh strawberries mulled in simple syrup mixed with brewed organic hibiscus white tea garnished with orange slices and fresh strawberries. So easy, so refreshing and so pretty in a clear beverage glass. You and your friends will love this recipe.

 

Nothing better than fresh brewed crisp cold refreshing iced sweet tea during the heat of summer! Whether sipping around the pool or just sitting on the front porch is a great time to serve this tea. Other events for this refreshing tea would be cookouts, large gatherings, weddings and more. The flavor is light and slightly fruity, it almost tastes like light pomegranate juice and has the color of reddish purple. But the key ingredient is hibiscus!

Hibiscus makes the tea red and with the help of the strawberries being mulled with the simple syrup enhances the red color and flavor. I used organic pomegranate white tea by full circle market. The ingredients include all organic white tea, hibiscus, orange peel and natural flavor.. guessing the natural flavor is pomegranate for there is no pomegranate in the tea. Funny, maybe they thought it was the flavor of pomegranate. Hum.. pomegranate juice added to this tea recipe would turn the tea a deep purple instead of red. Good thing I didn’t add the additional juice. I love the reddish color of this tea especially with the strawberries.

If you haven’t had white tea it is delicious. “White tea is known to be one of the most delicate tea varieties because it is so minimally processed. White tea is harvested before the tea plant’s leaves open fully, when the young buds are still covered by fine white hairs, hence the name “white” tea.” You will like this tea, whether served iced or hot it is delicious!

How to Make Organic Strawberry Orange Ice Tea

In a microwave safe 6 cup bowl add 4 cups of water and 4 tea bags. Microwave for 4-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and allow to steep while you make the simple syrup.

Making Strawberry Simple Syrup begins with a saucepan filled with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup.. or if you like sugar, cane sugar. Add 1/4 cup sliced strawberries. Simmer this mixture on medium low heat until berries are soft and liquid is syrupy. I like to take a wooden spoon and rub the berries in the saucepan to help release berry juice into the syrup. Strain the syrup and allow to cool.

What makes good tea is using purified water and purified ice cubes. I have a Berkey water filtering system that I use for purified water which is healthy drinking of water and makes clearer tea. On my refrigerator I have a smaller filter made for my refrigerator attached to my ice maker so I always have filtered water for my ice and cold drinking water.

Assemble the Tea and Serve

To make the tea, fill a pretty glass pitcher with ice cubes. At this point you can either put the simple syrup in a separate squeeze bottle or small pitcher for individuals to add their own sweetness or you can add it the brewed tea and pour over ice in the glass pitcher. Depending on who is attending and how much tea I need for serving, I will offer both, and label one pitcher sweetened and the other pitcher unsweet but serve another batch of simple syrup on the side. The tea is pretty both ways… which is what we want right? ha ha

Add sliced strawberries and orange rings to the tea pitcher and have additional berries and orange slices in side dishes for guests to add more. I will also add one berry and orange slice to each drinking glass for guest before adding the tea and ice to the glass.

A Note About the Ingredients

Tea- I used organic pomegranate white tea for this recipe, but you can use any hibiscus flavored tea. My tea has organic orange peel added. Hibiscus tea makes the tea red like strawberries.

Strawberries- Organic strawberries any red berries will work in this recipe, as long as you use red or you can mix strawberries and raspberries together to make a mull for the simple syrup.

Filtered water and Ice- Yes this helps with the flavor by removing possible toxins, minerals and fluoride from your water, unfiltered water makes your tea cloudy as well as ice cubes. You can use distilled water if you don’t have a water filter.

Sweetener- Making simple syrup is …well simple. You can use honey, maple syrup or cane sugar to make great simple syrup. I would not use artificial in this tea, even stevia unless you are used to the flavor of stevia, go for honey or maple syrup instead.

Print

Give this recipe a try it is so refreshing and great for entertaining.  You can substitute the strawberries for raspberries or combination of both.  

Other Ideas You Might Like To Try: