What captures the sun-drenched essence of summer better than ripe apricots? This sunny apricot iced tea will transport you to lazy afternoons on the front porch swing with the first sip! Sweet and fruity, with a bit of fizz just for fun, this is one recipe you will find yourself making again and again this summer.
Iced tea is perfect for hot days when you need a cool, refreshing drink. Make it with strong black tea for a garden tea party, or use decaf or herbal tea for a drink the kids will love.
Method
Make one quart of strong apricot-flavored black tea. I used 5 tea bags to one quart of boiling water. The tea I used was a Decaf Apricot Black Tea from The Republic of Tea. You can use regular black tea, but the flavor will not be as strong. If you desire a lighter, fruitier flavor, try an herbal blend instead of black tea: the Cinnamon Apricot Tisane from Monterey Bay Spice Company would work very well here.
Do make sure you brew your tea double-strength if using an herbal blend, or even with black tea if you want a strong tea flavor. The juice and seltzer water will dilute the tea to about half-strength. I was making this recipe with kids in mind, so I was happy with the less intense tea flavor.
Chill the tea for at least one hour in the refrigerator. You may add some sugar while the tea is still warm if you prefer.
Prepare the apricots: drain one 15-ounce can of apricot halves and reserve the juice. Mash the apricots with a fork or a potato masher, or in a food processor. Canned apricots are pretty soft, so if you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry!
When the tea is chilled, pour it into a 2-quart (or larger) pitcher or jar. Add the mashed apricots, reserved apricot juice or syrup, and two 12-ounce cans of peach or apricot-flavored seltzer water. Apricot-flavored seltzer water can be hard to find depending on where you live, but peach works just fine.
Stir well and taste for sweetness. Depending on whether your apricots were canned in juice, light syrup, or heavy syrup, you will need to add more or less sugar. I used apricots that were canned in extra light syrup, and I added 6 tablespoons of sugar to the final mixture. If you aren’t sure how much sugar you will need, try adding just one or two tablespoons at a time; stir; and taste again for sweetness. That way, you won’t end up accidentally adding too much!
Add 2-3 cups of ice cubes and serve immediately. Be sure to stir or shake before pouring the tea, or the apricot bits will all fall to the bottom of the pitcher.
If you are making this tea ahead, don’t add the seltzer water or ice until just before serving. You can mix the tea, mashed apricots, and apricot juice in a pitcher (with some sugar if desired) and store in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving.
After adding the seltzer water and ice, the tea is best drunk the same day. You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator, but you will lose the bubbles!
Sunny Apricot Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 1 quart strong brewed apricot-flavored black tea
- 15 ounces canned apricots in juice or syrup undrained
- 2 12-oz. cans apricot or peach-flavored seltzer water
- sugar to taste
- 2-3 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- Brew the apricot-flavored black tea double-strength and chill in the refrigerator at least one hour.
- Drain the canned apricots and reserve juice. Mash the apricots in a small bowl with a fork or potato masher, or puree in a food processor.
- In a 2-quart pitcher, combine the chilled tea, mashed apricots, apricot juice, and seltzer water. Stir well and taste for sweetness. Add sugar to taste, 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
- Stir in 2-3 cups of ice cubes and serve immediately.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my Butterscotch Creme Iced Tea!
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