Homemade Orange Tea Cordial
Strong orange tea cooked down with sugar, fresh zest and juice into a fridge syrup for orange coolers, hot or cold.
Think of this as a grown up orange squash with the depth of real tea behind it. You brew the orange tea strong, then cook it down with sugar, fresh orange zest and a little juice into a syrup that lives in the fridge and only gets better for a day or two.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Homemade Orange Tea Cordial recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/cocktails/homemade orange tea cordial/
Splash one part into four parts cold water or soda for an orange cooler, or top it with hot water on a cold afternoon for an instant orange tea. The zest is doing the real work here, so grate it finely and do not be shy with it.
You'll need
- 4 tea bags of Lipton Black Tea with Spanish Orange
- 500ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
- 250g caster sugar
- Zest of 3 fresh Spanish oranges, finely grated
- 100ml fresh orange juice (about 1 small orange)
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 fine sieve lined with muslin for straining
- 1 sterilised 500ml glass bottle with cap
- 1 saucer for covering the steep
Method
- Brew the four tea bags in 500ml of just boiled water for four minutes, covered, then lift out and press gently.
- Tip the tea into a pan with the sugar, orange zest and orange juice.
- Simmer gently for ten minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Strain through a muslin lined sieve to leave a clear syrup.
- Pour into a sterilised bottle while still warm, seal and chill.
- To serve, mix one part cordial with four parts cold or hot water.
- Tip: keep it refrigerated and drink within two weeks; a squeeze of lemon brightens it if it tastes too sweet.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Lipton Black Tea with Spanish Orange, 20 Tea Bags 36g
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