Description
A homemade blend of sweet cherry ginger syrup and chilled black tea, perfect for a hot day!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries (sweet or tart)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 cups water
- 6 black tea bags (or equivalent loose leaf tea)
- Ice cubes
- Fresh cherries, for garnish (optional)
- Ginger slices, for garnish (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for garnish (optional)
- Sparkling water or club soda (optional, for a fizzy twist)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, water, sliced ginger, and lemon juice.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl. Pour the cherry mixture through the sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the solids.
- Let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Bring 6 cups of fresh water to a boil.
- Place the black tea bags (or loose leaf tea in a tea infuser) in a heatproof pitcher or large teapot. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
- Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes.
- After steeping, remove the tea bags (or tea infuser) from the pitcher. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the tea bags.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature. You can speed up this process by placing the pitcher in the refrigerator.
- Fill glasses with ice cubes.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons of cherry ginger syrup into each glass.
- Pour the cooled black tea over the syrup and ice in each glass, leaving a little room at the top.
- Stir the mixture well to combine the syrup and tea.
- If you want to add a little fizz to your iced tea, top it off with sparkling water or club soda.
- Garnish your Cherry Ginger Iced Tea with fresh cherries, ginger slices, and/or lemon wedges.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade Cherry Ginger Iced Tea!
Notes
- Adjust the amount of cherry ginger syrup to your liking.
- Experiment with different types of tea.
- Add other fruits to the cherry ginger syrup.
- For a spicy kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few slices of jalapeño to the cherry ginger syrup.
- Add a shot of vodka, gin, or rum to your Cherry Ginger Iced Tea to turn it into a refreshing cocktail.
- Adjust the amount of sugar in the cherry ginger syrup to your liking.
- Make a large batch of cherry ginger syrup and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze leftover cherry ginger syrup in ice cube trays.
- Combine the cherry ginger syrup with lemonade for a refreshing twist on a classic summer drink.
- For a sophisticated mocktail, combine the cherry ginger syrup with sparkling water, a splash of lime juice, and a sprig of mint.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes