How To Make Hibiscus Blackberry Iced Sweet Tea

Thirsty for a glorious, refreshing, nectar of happiness!?!? If so, then you came to the right place!!

To make this delicious iced treat, you will follow these 2 easy parts that you can easily make in advance or right when you are wanting a sip of sunshine. The first part is a Berry Simple Syrup, and then you will make a pitcher of Hibiscus Iced Tea! Both are super simple and when combined will result in a cup that fully embodies the taste and happiness of summertime!!

Let's jump right in!!

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PART 1: BERRY SIMPLE SYRUP

What you will need:

Stainless steel saucepan
1 cup of water
1 cup of organic cane sugar - this amount will give you a light sweetness, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based upon the sweetness preference of you and your family!
1.5 cups of fresh or frozen berries - I like fresh blackberries the best!!! But you can change it up to add some excitement to your life and use blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a combination of all of these!!
Handheld strainer to strain out the berries when they are done simmering

Steps to make the Berry Simple Syrup:

Place all of your ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. DO NOT let this boil over! If it gets going and you walk away, it could boil your sticky syrup all over your stove top... I know, because I've done it! Its not fun to clean up!
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and pressing occasionally
Strain and press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into your iced pitcher. If you are making this ahead of time, you can also put this syrup into a separate container for later use. I like to make this ahead of time and keep in a mason jar in my refrigerator so I have it to perk up all sorts of beverage treats! Its even super fun to pour a bit into some sparkling water to add some pazaz!! Another tips is to keep the pressed out berries (that are still in your strainer) to use later on toast or pancakes! Kids LOVE it!!

PART 2: HIBISCUS ICED TEA

What you will need:

2 Tablespoons of Cozy Leaf Hibiscus Twist loose leaf tea
Tea strainer, tea ball, tea filter, or just a plain ol' fine mesh strainer.
Half gallon container to brew your tea
Boiling water
Room temp water

Steps to make the Hibiscus Iced Tea:

Heat your water (approximately 3 cups) to boiling
Place tea leaves in your half gallon container.
Pour your hot water over the tea leaves and fill the container 1/3 of the way.
Cover and steep for 5 minutes
Fill the remaining 2/3 of the container with room temp water
Cover and steep 15 minutes
Strain the tea by removing the infuser or pouring the tea through a fine mesh strainer!

PART 3: COMBINE PART 1 and 2!!!

What you will need:

Berry Simple Syrup (from above)
Hibiscus Iced Tea (from above)
Ice
Your favorite 1 gallon iced tea pitcher

Steps to make the the Hibiscus Blackberry Iced Sweet Tea:

Combine the Berry Simple Syrup and Hibiscus Iced Tea into your pitcher
Stir
If you are serving immediately, top off your pitcher with ice
If you are serving this later, place your covered pitcher into the refrigerator and top off with iced right before serving.

This is such an amazing and delicious treat!! It is also a fantastic alternative to sugar heavy beverages!! The beauty of making your own simple syrup is not only so you know what is in your drink, but also that you can control how much sugar! I recommend starting off with the sugar ratios listed above and over time just do a smidge less sugar each time! Before you know it you will be making a great impact on reducing your families sugar intake by not only making your own drink and satisfying the craving for a sweet treat, but also by slowly changing your level of sweetness that you desire in a drink!

This is a fantastic addition to summertime and a wonderful surprise to have ready in your fridge for that unexpected guest who stops by!