Strawberry Cottage Bloom; Black Tea Version
This bold, floral black tea blend is layered with cozy strawberry sweetness and garden-gathered herbs. It’s the perfect iced tea for afternoon sipping and a signature part of our Strawberry Season at The Cottage.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 62kcal
Equipment
- 1 Tea kettle For boiling water
- 1 Fine mesh strainer or infuser To steep and strain the tea and herbs
- 1 Glass pitcher or mason jar For brewing and storing the tea blend
- 1 Measuring bowl To mix the dry ingredients evenly
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chamomile flowers 21g
- ¾ cup finely chopped dried strawberries 48g
- ¾ cup dried rose hips 56g
- 1 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea or 4 large tea bags 28g
- 8 cups boiled water 64 oz
- 8 cups cold water or ice 64 oz, for dilution
Instructions
Full Gallon Batch
- Combine ingredients – Add all dried ingredients (21 grams chamomile, 48 grams chopped dried strawberries, 56 grams rose hips, 28 grams black tea) to a large heatproof pitcher. Stir to distribute evenly.
- Boil water – Bring 1,890 grams (about 8 cups) of water to a full boil, which allows the black tea to extract fully without tasting thin.
- Steep briefly – Pour the boiling water over the mixture, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain thoroughly – Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing gently to extract liquid while keeping the tea clear.
- Dilute if iced – Add 1,890 grams (about 8 cups) of cold water or ice to the strained concentrate if serving iced, adjusting to taste.
- Serve or chill – Serve warm right away or refrigerate until fully chilled before serving over ice.
4-Cup Teapot Batch
- Measure ingredients – Use about 5 grams chamomile, 12 grams chopped dried strawberries, 14 grams rose hips, and 7 grams black tea (or about ¼ cup of pre-mixed dry blend).
- Boil water – Bring 2 cups (470 grams) of water to a full boil.
- Steep in teapot – Add the dry ingredients to your teapot, pour boiling water over, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain and serve – Strain into cups. Serve hot as-is, or pour over ice in glasses with an additional 2 cups of cold water for iced tea.
Single Cup
- Measure ingredients – Use about 1 tablespoon of the mixed dry blend (approximately 1.5 grams chamomile, 3 grams strawberries, 3.5 grams rose hips, 2 grams black tea).
- Boil water – Bring ½ cup (120 grams) of water to a full boil.
- Steep – Place dry ingredients in a tea infuser or directly in the cup, pour boiling water over, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain and serve – Remove infuser or strain. Serve hot as-is, or add ½ cup cold water or ice for a single iced tea serving.
Notes
- This recipe makes one full gallon (128 oz) of tea using 8 cups of hot water to steep and 8 cups of cold water or ice to dilute and chill. You can also make a smaller 4-cup teapot batch using ¼ cup of the dry blend, and a single cup following recipe card instructions above.
- Use correct water temperature for each tea – Green tea needs 175 to 185°F to prevent bitterness, while black tea needs a full boil for proper extraction. Temperature matters for clean flavor.
- Steep for exactly 10 minutes – This timing extracts full flavor without bitterness. Longer steeps can make green tea harsh and black tea astringent.
Nutrition
Serving: 240g | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.2mg