Pineapple, pear, cider and citrus set off by just the right touch of cinnamon and clove. How good does this Spiced Tea sound? It’s a bit unusual, and everyone who tastes it will beg you to make it or ask for the recipe.
Spiced Tea, hot or cold. Serve as is or make it into a punch.
Serve this warm or cold, winter or summer but if you’re having a party or big get together, think about making this into a punch. Just add your favorite soda type water, ginger ale (or maybe a little bubbly) and you’re going to be the belle of the ball!
If you have a sick friend, pour Spiced Tea into a beautiful glass bottle or jar (save pretty ones or check the 2nd hand store) and drop it by their house. You’ll be a hero!
Spiced Tea, hot or cold. Serve as is or make it into a punch.
Really, Spiced Tea is a huge fave of mine – can you tell? I think this was an old, old recipe: my card says to serve warm in a silver bowl or cold in crystal! For a party, I say crock pot or punch bowl.
Made as written it can be a bit pricey, mostly due to the cost of the pear juice. I’ve included substitutions in parentheses, and given a few suggestions in my strategies on how to lower the cost even more.
Spiced Tea, hot or cold. Serve as is or make it into a punch.
Spiced Tea
- 6 tea bags, either Rose Pouchong or Jasmine (I use Lipton’s)
- 6 cups of water
- 1 cup sugar (this can be drastically cut back or eliminated depending on your tastes)
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2 cups of pear juice (or apple juice, or even better apple cider)
- 2 cups apple cider (or apple juice)
- 2 oranges, juiced
- 2 lemons, juiced
In a small pot, bring water to a boil, steep tea. Remove tea bags – do not squeeze. Set tea aside.
To a larger pot, add the water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add tea and juices (I throw in the rinds of the lemon an orange) and simmer 10 minutes. Remove rinds, gently squeezing to wring out the moisture entrapped in them. Add tea.
Serve as is, warm, or chill and add soda water to make a punch.
Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:
- Read {Strategies Applied} for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving money/time and managing this recipe on a budget.
- Follow my Strategies – You’ll see them all explained on the upper left tab of every page and how I apply them, below.
- Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
- Use a coupon matching site! Do not discount the savings! I check their site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.
Nutrition:
You could cut back on the sugar in this recipe, bit by bit, until you get it just where you like it. A one cup serving contains 32 percent of your vitamin C, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 119 Calories; trace Fat (3.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 13mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Put Your Own Spin on It:
Use the basic idea and go wild with your own flavors and spices. There’s certainly no wrong or right. I like to bring this to outdoor outings in the fall, either in a thermos, or serve over a fire or camp stove.