Description
Awaken your senses with Sweet Spicy Cherry Ginger Iced Tea! A vibrant, homemade syrup of ripe cherries and warm ginger offers a uniquely bold and refreshing sip. Full recipe & nutrition details await.
Ingredients
- Water: 5 cups (divided)
- Black tea bags: 4-5 (or 2-3 tablespoons loose leaf black tea)
- Pitted fresh or frozen cherries: 1 cup
- Fresh ginger: 2-inch piece, peeled and thinly sliced
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup (or to taste)
- Ice cubes: for serving
- Fresh mint sprigs: for garnish (optional)
- Lemon slices: for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Cherry Ginger Syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, pitted cherries, thinly sliced fresh ginger, and granulated sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are soft and the liquid has slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Step 2: Strain and Cool the Syrup. Remove the saucepan from heat. Pour the cherry ginger mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing the solids gently with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Let the syrup cool completely to room temperature.
- Step 3: Brew the Black Tea. Bring the remaining 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a separate pot. Remove from heat and add the black tea bags (or loose leaf tea). Let steep for 5 minutes for a bold flavor, then remove the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves. Allow the brewed tea to cool completely.
- Step 4: Combine and Chill. Once both the cherry ginger syrup and the brewed black tea are cooled, combine them in a large pitcher or jar. Stir well to fully integrate the flavors. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours to chill thoroughly.
- Step 5: Serve. Fill tall glasses with plenty of ice cubes. Pour the chilled Sweet Spicy Cherry Ginger Iced Tea into the glasses. Garnish each serving with a fresh mint sprig and a lemon slice, if desired, before serving.
Notes
- Store your Sweet Spicy Cherry Ginger Iced Tea in a well-sealed pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the ginger and cherry flavors often meld even more wonderfully after a day or two.
- To prevent dilution and keep your iced tea wonderfully bold, consider making a small batch of extra-strong black tea, freezing it into ice cubes, and using those to serve instead of plain water ice.
- For a delightful twist, blend a portion of the chilled iced tea with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a unique, refreshing float, or mix with sparkling water for a lighter spritzer.
- For an intensified ginger kick, lightly crush or mince your fresh ginger before simmering it for the syrup; this releases more of its aromatic oils and spicy essence.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240ml)
- Calories: 100
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Protein: 24g