Orange iced tea

Orange iced tea is a refreshing and delightful alcohol-free drink perfect for lazy summers. Made with fresh orange juice, black tea, and mint leaves, this drink is a great thirst quencher, loved by all.

Though a lot of you have already got some relief from the piercing heat and enjoying monsoon, or autumn, for those of us living in the hotter cities of the world like Dubai, there still is a long wait before we could enjoy a pleasant cooler weather.

That’s the reason why you will still find me posting summer recipes on my blog.

Every member of my immediate family is a teetotaler. We also avoid having aerated drinks as much as possible - so, water, fresh juices, iced tea, coconut water, etc are the drinks on which we survive during summers.

Today, I am sharing the recipe for one of my favorite alcohol-free summer drinks- Orange mint iced tea.

Nothing can be better than spending a fiercely hot summer afternoon,  sipping refreshing iced tea with orange, and reading a good book, sitting at the favorite corner of your home.

History of iced tea

As I shared in some of my other posts too that I love reading about the history of different recipes, ingredients, their origin, and journey around the world.

I try to share those little fascinating stories with you too in my posts. If you have no interest in that, you may use the button - 'Jump to recipe' to directly reach the recipe card.

Most people believe that Iced Tea was invented by an American Merchant - Richard Belchynden at 1904 World's Fair at St. Louis.

In the fair, he was selling hot tea which was not attracting enough people because of the hot weather. So, he added ice cubes to the tea and it became an instant hit.

However, many believe that though the Iced Tea may have become more popular after 1904, there are many documented proofs of it from the 17th century too.

Since then it has evolved a lot and now you will find different varieties of Iced Tea almost everywhere in the world.

Tips & Tricks

• Adjust the quantity of tea leaves depending upon how strong you like your tea.
• You can also add some orange or lemon zest for a more refreshing citrus flavor.
• Adding sugar is optional. If you prefer having Iced Tea without Sugar, just skip it.
• A healthier version of sweetener like honey or maple syrup may also be added to the orange tea.
• When in a hurry, no need to keep the iced tea in the fridge for long hours. Just fill the glass with lots of ice cubes and it will get chilled. However, then consume it immediately otherwise if the ice melts completely the tea will taste over-diluted.
• You may make iced tea with other fruits too like peach, lemon, berries, apple, etc.

Alcohol-free drinks to try this summer

Looking for more easy alcohol-free drink ideas that you can enjoy with the whole family this summer? Don't miss to check the following recipes on my blog:

• Virgin Pina Colada
• Watermelon lemonade

More easy orange recipes

I love oranges because of their refreshing citrus flavor. My grandparents have a lot of orange trees in their garden and that's another reason for me to love this fruit. I keep on trying different recipes where I could use oranges.

If you also love this fruit then don't miss to check the following easy orange recipes on my blog:

• Orange tofu
• Vegan orange cake with candied orange peels

And, if you try any of my recipes and like it then please don’t miss to rate it in the comments section below.

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How to make Orange iced tea?

Recipe

Orange Iced Tea

Orange iced tea is a refreshing and delightful drink perfect for lazy summers. Made with fresh orange juice, mint leaves, and black tea, this drink is a great thirst quencher, loved by all.

4.89 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Vandana Chauhan

Ingredients

• 2.5 tbsp black tea leaves adjust the quantity depending upon your taste
• 6 cups water
• ¼ cup sugar adjust the quantity as per taste. You may also skip it if you don't prefer sweet tea or add honey or maple syrup.
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 small orange sliced
• Mint leaves for garnishing
• Ice cubes

Instructions

• In a saucepan add water, sugar, and boil until the sugar gets dissolved.
• Add tea leaves to the pan, switch off the gas. Cover the pan and keep aside for at least 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, strain the tea in a pitcher and discard the tea leaves.
• Once the tea reaches room temperature, add orange juice to it. Mix well and keep in the fridge till serving time.
• To serve, add orange slices to the pitcher. Pour the tea in ice-filled glasses. Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy.

Notes

• Adding sugar is optional. You can skip it or add any other sweetener of your choice-like honey or maple syrup.
• Adjust the quantity of tea leaves depending upon your taste preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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