Recipe: Fruit Tea, Fruit Ice Tea, Very Berry Iced Tea, and Strawberry Tea Punch for Sarah, Mansfield, Tx

When ever I make something using canned or fresh fruit that I don't need the juice for I pour it into ice cube trays. Then you take that out and drop into your favorite tea. It also makes a nice flavored water. Here are some actual recipes for all kinds of fruit teas.

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FRUIT TEA
Makes 2 gallons

Tea bags for 2 gallons tea
1 1/2 quarts boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 (48-ounce) can pineapple juice
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice
1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade

Place tea bags in bowl or pitcher. Pour boiling water over tea bags. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Let tea bags steep in sugar water several hours or overnight.

Discard tea bags. Pour tea into a large bowl. Add juices, stirring well. Pour equal amounts into two one-gallon jugs. Add water to each to fill jug. Refrigerate. Shake well before serving.

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FRUIT ICE TEA
Source: San Diego Union Food Section, May 26, 1994
Servings: 4

1 quart strong tea, cooled
1 1/2 cup fruit juice
sugar to taste (or sugar substitute)

Combine tea with fruit juice. Add ice. Sweeten to taste.

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VERY BERRY ICED TEA

4 cups water
4 bags celestial seasonings raspberry zinger tea
2 bags twinings blackcurrant tea
about 4 tbsp. simple syrup (recipe follows), honey or other sweetener
4 orange slices

Bring the water to a boil. Add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes (or longer for more intense flavor).

Remove tea bags and sweeten tea. Chill.

Serve over ice, garnished with orange slices.

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SIMPLE SYRUP
Makes 2 cups

Use about 1 tablespoon per serving to sweeten iced tea.

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cool.

An empty wine bottle, rinsed and fitted with a bar pourer, is a handy way to store and use the syrup. Refrigerate or store at room temperature. Syrup will keep at least 3 months.

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STRAWBERRY TEA PUNCH
Servings: 8

1 1/2 quarts boiling water
3 family-size tea bags
1 cup lemonade concentrate
1 pkg frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2 cups sugar or 1/3 cups honey

In large pitcher, pour water over tea bags and steep 4 minutes.

Remove tea bags and stir in remaining ingredients.

Serve over ice.