A refreshing drink any time of the year, southern tropical fruit tea is a lovely sweet tea without all the processed sugar of classic sweet tea. I first encountered tea with fruit juice way back in the 1990s when I tried a Martha Stewart recipe for Fruity Tea Punch and loved it. Since then, I will often just put a splash of fruit juice into my glass of unsweetened iced tea. I’ve sweetened my tea with apple juice, pineapple juice, and grape juice.
When I started seeing recipes for southern fruit tea, I was intrigued! Most of the recipes add pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate and lemonade and tea in large quantities. I’m the only one drinking tea in my house, so I like to make a small pitcher. That’s how I came up with this recipe. You’ll get four cups of fruit tea with these amounts, which fills about two tea glasses.
The only thing to remember is to allow enough time for the tea to cool before adding the fruit juice. Cooling can take 20 minutes to a half hour, or you can cool the tea in the refrigerator or freezer (don’t forget it)! Once the tea is cool though, you can just stir in the two juices and serve! Of course the recipe can be doubled or tripled (or whatever!) to serve more people.
This is a perfect drink for kids and adults alike. It’s great for taking along on picnics or backyard cookouts – just give it a little stir before serving.
Try using some of your favorite teas and juices for unique combinations! A cinnamon tea or mint tea would add a great flavor undertone. You can also decrease the amount of juice used, if you want the flavor of the tea to come through more. Experiment and let me know what you come up with!
Some people add a little sugar to the tea, but I find the juice sweetens it enough.
Serve this fruit tea for the summer holidays with a mint garnish or a twist of lemon, lime, or orange slices.
You might also enjoy trying Ginger Pomegranate Punch or an Orange Coconut Mimosa.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Passive Time | 20 minutes for cooling tea |
| Servings |
tea glasses
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- 3 single serving tea bags or 1 large family tea bag, black tea, or use your favorite teas
- 2 cups water to make the tea
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- additional water optional, up to 1 cup, to weaken the tea
Ingredients
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- Fill a two cup measuring glass with water, then add three single tea bags or 1 large family sized tea bag, making sure the tea bags are submerged in the water. Microwave for about 3 minutes on high, depending on your microwave. Let the tea steep for 1 minute.
- Remove the tea bags from the tea and set the tea aside to cool.
- Once the tea has cooled, pour it into a pitcher. Add the pineapple juice and the orange juice, stirring as you pour the juices in. Add any additional water, up to 1 cup, if you want to weaken the tea. (I don't add additional water, but the tea is good either way.)
- Serve over ice immediately or refrigerate to serve later. Garnish with mint leaves or a slice of lemon, orange, or lime.
- Recipe can be doubled, tripled, or whatever!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut.
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