Strawberry Iced Tea: A Legacy Brewed in Memory

Discover the secret to (almost) perfect strawberry iced tea.

Photo: © Mary Ann Rollano - strawberry iced tea

One warm summer afternoon, the idea of crafting strawberry-iced tea crossed my mind. This wasn’t just any ordinary recipe. It was a tribute to my mother, a vibrant spirit born to Irish immigrants and endowed with an innate love for tea—a passion she lovingly infused into our lives.

Twenty-five years had passed since her departure, yet her teachings and the essence of her spirit lingered like the enduring fragrance of morning tea. As the anniversary of her passing approached, I reflected on the lessons she left behind. I examined my influence on my own children, emulating her nurturing presence while learning from her shortcomings.

Recalling youthful memories, I was drawn back to a time when New Jersey still proudly wore its title as the Garden State before cookie-cutter developments reshaped its verdant landscape. We weren’t farmers ourselves but tenants on a produce farm. The owner’s duplex was our home, and the sprawling fields were our playground.

Of all the places on the farm, the strawberry fields claimed my heart. They were sun-drenched patches of earth, where dusty rows of strawberries, small, juicy, and bursting with flavor, awaited our eager picking. Those strawberries bore little resemblance to the oversized, often tasteless varieties I find in today’s supermarkets. Perhaps a casualty of genetic modification.

During those youthful days, my mother would transform our bounty into delicious jams and preserves, carefully sealed with paraffin wax in mason jars—some of you might recall such homemade treasures. Besides her preserves, iced tea was her specialty. Particularly the sweet Southern variety our neighbor Melba, with her thick Mississippi accent, taught her to perfect. Melba, a transplant from the deep South, knew her way around a pitcher of iced tea.

In this reflective mood, surrounded by the echoes of my mother’s love and the legacy of her teachings, I decided to blend these two cherished memories into a single glass. Strawberry iced tea was born. Not from a recipe passed down through generations but from a mingling of childhood memories, each sip a homage to her.

This brew combines the robust charm of Southern sweet tea with the fresh zest of juiced strawberries, offering a refreshing respite to anyone who’s spent a day toiling in the garden or simply yearning for a taste of nostalgia.

As I pour each glass, I feel I am crafting more than a beverage. I am reviving a fragment of my past, celebrating my mother’s influence. It is the perfect elixir on a hot summer day—a beverage brimming with the sweet legacy of love and the aroma of freshly picked strawberries.

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cut strawberries and sieving blended strawberries

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Strawberry mimosa

Photo: © Mary Ann Rollano - strawberry iced tea mimosa. Ideally served in champagne flutes, not wine glasses, but no matter.

Cocktail iced tea, anyone?

I co-hosted a lady’s brunch a few years ago, and we made the most delicious strawberry tea mimosas.

This recipe quickly makes a sparkling iced tea mimosa. Blend ½ strawberry iced tea (see recipe above) with ½ sparkling wine. Prosecco is my favorite for making a lightly alcoholic iced tea.

Is my recipe perfect? Probably not. But can I whip it up in under 30 minutes when company is coming over? Absolutely.

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Strawberry Iced Tea Recipe