Nitrate & Nitrite Free Cranberry Orange Iced Tea
This refreshing iced tea is the kind of drink that makes you feel like you're sitting on a porch in the middle of summer, even if you're just at your kitchen table. Steeped black tea gets layered with bright orange zest and sweetened with maple syrup, then blended with pure unsweetened cranberry juice for a tart, complex flavor that's anything but ordinary. For anyone avoiding processed preservatives, store-bought flavored teas and juice blends can be a minefield — this recipe sidesteps all of that by using whole, simple ingredients you can actually read on the label. The 100% cranberry juice brings a bold, slightly bitter depth that balances beautifully against the citrus and the gentle sweetness of the maple syrup. A couple of hours in the fridge lets everything meld together into something that tastes genuinely polished. Serve it over ice with an orange slice and a sprig of fresh mint, and it looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tea
- 6 cup water
- 4 black tea bags
- 3 strips orange zest (each about 3 inches long), peeled with a vegetable peeler
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup pure unsweetened cranberry juice (100% cranberry, no added sweeteners or apple juice)
For serving
- ice cubes, for serving
- orange slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the tea bags and orange zest strips, and steep for 5 minutes, until the tea is deep amber and fragrant.
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