Strawberry Iced Tea

Instructions

For the Strawberry Simple Syrup:

1. In a medium saucepan, add the diced strawberries, sugar and water. Turn the heat to high and allow mixture to come to a boil.
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Immediately remove from the stove and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard strawberry pieces.
4. Set simple syrup aside to cool. You can also store it in a jar until you’re ready to use it, or for up to a month.

For the Iced Tea:

1. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, tie all the tea bags strings together and place them into a large bowl. Make sure the strings are hanging off the side.
3. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and let it steep for 5 minutes. If you want a stronger tea, steep for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the tea bags and discard. You can either pour the tea into a large pitcher, or continue mixing in the bowl.
5. Pour in the strawberry simple syrup and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
6. Add the baking soda and lemon juice and stir until the fizzling subsides.
7. Pour in the 5 cups of cold water and give it a few more stirs. If you used a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow tea to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
8. To serve, either pour into a pitcher or serve with a ladle. Add a few slices of fresh strawberries to the tea and individual cups, along with ice and fresh mint leaves!