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:
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:
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
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
Wow loved the post. Such a refreshing ice tea.. perfect to beat the heat. Lovely ???
Thanks Ruchi 🙂
Such a refreshing drink, love the beautiful color of the tea. i love iced teas, simple and a perfect beverage to cool during hot summers!!!
Thank you 🙂
We stay away from fizzy drinks if possible and concentrate on healthy drinks, this orange iced tea is so refreshing and delicious, just waiting for the warmer weather to come back.
Thanks Jagruti 🙂
This is such a refreshing orange iced tea and most perfect to cool down in sweltering heat of Summer time. Love all the clicks you have added here
Thanks Sasmita 🙂
Such a refreshing drink to beat the heat...just want to grab a glass and drink it right away...Loved the gorgeous colour...so inviting!
Thank you Padma.
This is such a refreshing and wonderful summer iced tea. The weather here is turning cold, wish it would be warm again so I can make the iced tea.
Thanks Sapana 🙂
My family is exactly the same as yours and we look forward to having lot of fruit juices during the summer months. Love the flavorful orange flavored iced tea and it is absolutely the best on a hot day.
Yes, they are so much better than aerated drinks. Thanks for your comment Sandhya 🙂
I love lemon iced tea during summer, it is refreshing and a good drink too. Loved the addition of orange juice to it,
Thanks, Jayashree. I also love lemon iced tea 🙂
What are the chances that I made this for our afternoon tea as its really hot and I read your post on orange iced tea in the evening? We too stay away from aerated drinks and therefore choice of refreshing drinks is fresh fruit juices and iced teas during the very hot season. Love the colour of your preparation and its so inviting.
Hahaha what a coincidence. Thank you so much for your comment :).
Simple and refreshing orange tea. My family loves this kind of tea, especially during summer.
Thanks Uma.
It is indeed exciting to know how the ice tea trend started. It is very interesting to explore food history, isn't it? The orange tea looks amazing.
Yes, you are right Seema. Thank you 🙂
Simple yet refreshing orange iced tea is the best way to cool down in sweltering heat of Summer. Feel like grabbing one glass from the screen itself.
Lovely clicks.
Thanks a lot Lata 🙂