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Cherry Lemon Iced Tea in a glass with dark chocolate bar on the side
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Cherry Lemon Iced Tea

As summer ends, raise the flavor level by pairing Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolate with this hydrating and thirsty-quenching
Cherry Lemon Iced Tea!
Course beverage
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting time 1 hour
Servings 6 people
Calories 70.63kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 star anise cloves
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7-8 mint leaves
  • 1 cup red cherries
  • 2 black tea bags
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ice cubes
  • mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • First, wash the cherries well, discard the stems and chop them. Throw away the seeds.
  • In a thick bottomed saucepan add 2 cups of water, cherries, lemon juice, mint leaves, star anise, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the flame and let it cook for 15 minutes. Then mash the cherries while cooking. Take it off the flame and let it cool down completely.
  • Strain the mixture and transfer to a bottle or bowl. Allow it to cool down completely.
  • In the same saucepan, add 2 cups of water and sugar. Bring to a boil and wait till the sugar dissolves.
  • Take the saucepan off the flame. Add the tea bags and steep the tea for 10 minutes, then discard tea bags.
  • Allow the tea to come to room temperature, then transfer to a large pitcher filled with ice cubes. Stir in the cherry juice and set in the refrigerator. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves and enjoy!

Notes

You can use loose tea or tea bags to make Iced Tea. I tried making it with both and ended up liking the tea bag version more.
For basic iced tea, calculate one tea bag per one cup water.
Use filtered or bottled cold water to begin with.
You can use agave nectar or simple syrup instead of sugar.
Do not steep the tea for longer time. If you brew longer, the tea will develop a bitter flavor or become too strong. Steep for 5-8 minutes and then taste every 30 seconds to ensure your desired flavor.
Don’t add raw sugar into a chilled iced tea. Always add the sweetener while the tea is still steaming so it dissolves fully.
For added indulgence, add a dollop of vanilla ice cream to each glass before pouring the iced tea on top.
Add ice to the tea right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 70.63kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.76g | Protein: 0.13g | Fat: 0.13g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 4.77mg | Potassium: 19.81mg | Fiber: 0.17g | Sugar: 16.85g | Vitamin A: 65.42IU | Vitamin C: 2.42mg | Calcium: 8.1mg | Iron: 0.22mg