• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Runaway Spoon

The Runaway Spoon

Creative recipes with a Southern slant

  • Home
  • The Runaway Spoon Store
  • Contact Us

Watermelon Sweet Tea

August 4, 2010 by The Runaway Spoon 9 Comments

 

Ah, summer in the South. It is hot as a skillet here, with temperatures topping the 102 degree mark. So there really is no option but to make as much iced tea as possible. For the only real solution to a southern summer (okay, besides air conditioning) is endless glasses of tea.

This brew combines two favorite Southern summer refreshers – sweet tea and ice cold watermelon, with a hint of the mint that is slowly taking over your garden in this heat. Use as much mint as you can manage – big handfuls from your garden, or a couple of those packs you buy in the grocery.

Watermelon Sweet Tea  
 
For the mint simple syrup:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3-4 nice leafy stems of mint

For the Tea:

1 family sized tea bag (I like Luzianne)

7 cups boiling water

A few more leafy mint stems

3 pound piece of fresh watermelon

For the mint simple syrup:

Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Drop in the mint leaves and push them down into the syrup. Leave to cool. When cool, pour into an airtight jar and refrigerate. You won’t use all the syrup for this tea.

For the tea:

Place the tea bag and mint stems in a large pitcher. Pour over the boiling water and leave to steep for 8 – 10 minutes, until the tea is a dark amber color. Remove and discard the tea bag and the mint. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, cut the watermelon flesh into cubes and puree in a blender until smooth. You may need to add a little water to get things moving. Pour the puree into a strainer set over a bowl and gently push the pulp the release the juice. Don’t scrape and push too hard, or your tea will come out to pulpy. You should have about 3 cups of juice. Refrigerate the juice until the tea is cooled.

In a pitcher or jug big enough to handle all the tea, mix the tea and the watermelon juice and stir well. Stir in the mint simple syrup to taste – how much you need depends on how sweet that watermelon is, but you are unlikely to use it all. Remember though that you want it a little sweeter in the pitcher, because the ice will dilute it a bit. Save any extra in the airtight jar in the fridge to sweeten other drinks.. Serve over lots of ice with a sprig of mint.

(You didn’t hear it from me, but a little snort of bourbon in the glass ain’t a bad thing…)
 
 
 

 

Makes 11 cups
 
 
 

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Breakfast And Brunch, Farmers Market, Fruit, Fruit and Vegetables, Southern Specialties Tagged With: beverages, mint, Southern specialties, tea, watermelon

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SthrnGirl says

    August 5, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    I love watermelon and I love sweet tea – can’t wait to try this out!

  2. anna k. says

    August 5, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Bless you! Can’t wait to try this out!

  3. Jean P says

    August 5, 2010 at 5:05 pm

    I am going to try this soon. I may add a splash of vodka. Great to meet you officially today

  4. diane and todd says

    August 17, 2010 at 12:34 am

    oh this looks so refreshing! such a perfect beverage for Summer. And the colors are just so pretty too, bet it’ll be a hit at our next party!
    Hope you’re doing well. xo

  5. Savana R. says

    August 1, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    The watermelon drknk looks so good so I can’t wait to try it out.

Trackbacks

  1. Watermelon Pie « The Runaway Spoon says:
    October 6, 2012 at 1:40 pm

    […] you have some leftover watermelon, why not make some Watermelon Sweet Tea? July 24th, 2011 | Tags: cream, pie, Southern specialties, summer, Sweets, watermelon | Category: […]

  2. Watermelon with Sweet Pesto « The Runaway Spoon says:
    August 28, 2013 at 11:59 am

    […] and mint are a classic summer pairing.  I love it in a sorbet or a sweet tea drink.  But basil is a great match with melon as well, so I worked up this sweet pesto, with the herby, […]

  3. 20 Watermelon Recipes for Summer - The Weary Chef says:
    May 14, 2014 at 5:35 pm

    […] Watermelon Sweet Tea | The Runaway Spoon […]

  4. An End of Summer Party | Crumbs Above Gold says:
    August 21, 2015 at 5:03 am

    […] Watermelon Sweet Tea Perfect Sangria Recipe […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

More from The Runaway Spoon

  • Fruit and Vegetables
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Farmers Market
  • Snacks And Starters
  • Southern Specialties
  • Breakfast And Brunch
  • Sweets
  • Meat Poultry Seafood
  • Holiday Cooking

More to See

Garlic Custard and Confit Tomato Charcuterie Board

March 19, 2023 By TheRunawaySpoon

Ricotta Balls in Tomato Sauce

March 12, 2023 By TheRunawaySpoon

Footer

I'm P.C. I think I am like most people. Somewhere in the middle between food snob and food schlub. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy. I live, mostly in my kitchen, in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Search

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Menu

  • Home
  • The Runaway Spoon Store
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 The Runaway Spoon