Description
This Orange Cinnamon Iced Tea is a refreshing and flavorful summer beverage, combining the robust taste of black tea with the bright zest of fresh orange and warm cinnamon spices. Sweetened with honey and served chilled over ice, it’s perfect for hot days and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Tea Base
- 8 cups water
- 4 black tea bags or 4 tablespoons loose leaf black tea
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Flavorings
- 1 large orange, sliced
- 1/4 cup honey (or more to taste)
To Serve
- Ice cubes
- Orange slices, for garnish (optional)
- Cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Boil Water: In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat to prepare the tea base.
- Add Tea and Spices: Remove the pot from heat. Add the tea bags (or loose leaf tea) and cinnamon sticks, fully submerging the tea bags to start the infusion process.
- Infuse Tea: Cover the pot and steep the tea and spices for 5-7 minutes, with 6 minutes being ideal for a balanced flavor.
- Add Orange Slices: Add the sliced orange to the pot, pressing gently to release some fresh juice into the brew.
- Continue Infusing: Cover the pot again and allow the orange slices to infuse for an additional 15-20 minutes, or up to 30 minutes if a stronger orange flavor is preferred.
- Remove Tea Bags and Spices: Take out the tea bags and cinnamon sticks, gently squeezing the tea bags to extract remaining liquid, then discard these solids.
- Strain Orange Slices: Pour the tea through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander to remove the orange slices; discard the orange slices after straining.
- Add Honey: While the tea is still warm, stir in the honey until it is fully dissolved. Start with 1/4 cup and adjust sweetness according to taste.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the tea and add more honey if necessary to reach your desired sweetness level.
- Cool Tea: Let the tea cool to room temperature naturally to prepare for chilling.
- Refrigerate (Optional): For best flavor, refrigerate the tea for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight to chill completely.
- Prepare Glasses: Fill serving glasses with ice cubes to keep the tea refreshingly cold.
- Pour Iced Tea: Pour the chilled tea over the ice-filled glasses.
- Garnish (Optional): Add orange slices and cinnamon sticks to each glass for a decorative and aromatic touch.
- Serve: Serve immediately and enjoy this cool, spiced citrus iced tea.
Notes
- Adjust the honey quantity to suit your preferred sweetness.
- For a stronger tea flavor, steep longer but avoid over-extracting to prevent bitterness.
- Orange slices can be replaced with other citrus fruits like lemon or lime for variation.
- If using loose leaf tea, consider a tea infuser for easier removal.
- Refrigerating overnight enhances the infusion flavors and chills the tea thoroughly.
