Watermelon Basil Sweet Tea

By Sara Bustos as seen in Mom to Mom

Summer is (finally!) making an appearance. Who's ready for summer vacations, outdoor festivities, and spending extra time with friends and loved ones? When it comes to spending time outside, who doesn't like a refreshing drink to sip on? I'd like to share with you a tasty twist to your standard sweet tea. This recipe comes in two parts, for the tea and simple syrup.

Watermelon Basil Sweet Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 family-size black tea bags (or 8 regular size tea bags)

• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (about a 0.5oz package)

• Pinch of baking soda

• 4 cups plus 1.5 cups of cold water, divided

• 3/4 - 1 cup of watermelon simple syrup (can be store-bought, or see recipe to make your own below)

• Basil sprigs and watermelon slices for garnish

Watermelon Simple Syrup:

Add 1 lb of freshly cut watermelon into a jar or ziploc bag. Add 8 oz of sugar and mix lightly. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours overnight, preferably for 24 hours. Mix any undissolved sugar into the syrup, and using a metal sieve, strain out the syrup into a clean glass jar. Use within 5 to 7 days, store in the fridge.

Instructions:

• Place tea bags, baking soda and fresh basil leaves into a large pitcher.

• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and pour over the bags into the pitcher.

• Stir and let steep for 12-15 minutes, then remove tea bags and basil leaves and discard.

• Slowly stir in watermelon syrup along with the remaining 1.5 cups of cold water.

• Chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours. Serve over ice and garnish with watermelon slices and basil sprigs.