The triple berry iced tea recipe is perfect for hot summer days. It's made from fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, so it doesn't have preservatives or artificial flavors.

I love summer. I love the carefree, lazy days with a schedule that isn't so busy. I love being able to be outside in the sunshine, playing with the kids.

But what I love the most is summer food. We have a large garden and an orchard, so we have fresh fruits and vegetables all summer. There is nothing better than fresh grown produce on your table after spending hours working outside.

Summertime cooking also means that I can pass along the cooking chore to my husband, who loves to grill. I prepare some cold sides earlier in the day, and he grills the meat for dinner.

Since I'm done with my cooking, I can sit outside and relax while he grills. One of my favorite summer drinks is this triple berry ice tea recipe.

Although summer isn't here quite yet, our schedules are winding down for the year. I got my husband a new grill for Father's Day this year and gave it to him a little early, and we wanted to fire it up to play with our new toy.

We had our first cookout of the season with the new grill. The kids all love grilled burgers, so that's what we made

We love the bacon cheddar burgers because they have chunks of cheese and bacon all throughout the burger and not just laid on the top.

TRIPLE BERRY ICED TEA RECIPE

This recipe is fairly versatile because you can make it with any berry, fresh or frozen. In the summer, I make this with our fresh or frozen home grown berries. We have an everbearing golden raspberry that is amazing in this recipe.

You can freeze your own berries or buy frozen berries from the store. This berry iced tea recipe is also yummy with just one type of berry. I suggest raspberry or strawberry.

If I don't make this triple berry iced tea recipe, then I made my Instant Pot sweet iced tea recipe.

Tips for Making a Berry Iced Tea Recipe

Iced tea can get bitter when you make it at home. I am normally not a brand snob, but I do buy Lipton tea bags. I've used other kinds of tea, and they just don't have the flavor that Lipton does.

If you have a favorite brand, feel free to use it.

After you boil the water and add the sugar, let it rest for about 5 minutes before you add the tea bags. If you add them when the water is near boiling, your tea can get bitter.

Only let the tea steep for up to 8 minutes. If you let it steep longer, it can get bitter.

When you remove the tea bags, don't squeeze out excess tea into the pan. This can release more tannins, which is what makes iced tea bitter.

I've heard of people adding a pinch of baking soda to take out the bitterness. I tried this without anyone knowing, and they all said the tea tasted horrible. I thought it worked well, but I've found that the above tips work just as well.

Let the tea sit in the fridge for at least an hour before enjoying. This helps the flavors meld together.

The Best Berries for Berry Iced Tea

It's best to use fresh or frozen berries to make berry iced tea. Canned berries are too soft, so they don't work well.

I used a frozen bag of mixed berries with strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can use one or two berries, just be sure to use the same amount of berries.

Sweetener

I don't make this often, so I use real sugar. This doesn't make an overly sweet tea. You can adjust it up to 1.5 cups if you want.

You can also use honey or your favorite sugar substitute. I like coconut sugar. It doesn't dissolve well in drinks, but it will when you heat it.

INGREDIENTS

8¼ cups water, divided
2/3 cups sugar or to taste (I usually cut this in half or omit and sweeten each glass as needed)
5 Lipton Tea bags
2-3 cups fresh or frozen berries

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Boil 4 cups of water to make your tea. When the water is boiling, stir in the sugar to dissolve it. Then turn the heat off and add the tea bags. Let steep for 8 minutes. Remove the tea bags without squeezing them and add 4 cups of cold water.

STEP #2

In another saucepan, add the fresh or frozen berries and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Strain the berry mixture with cheesecloth. Add the berries to the tea. Serve over ice.

Sometimes I add more berries to the iced tea because it looks pretty and gives it a little boost of flavor. Don't add more berries if you are using a pitcher with a spout because it can clog the spout.

Our new grill works perfectly! I definitely enjoyed my bacon cheddar burger without having to fry bacon separately or bring out cheese to add to the burgers.

iced tea, drink, berry, raspberry, strawberry

drink

American

Yield: 8

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty