Canning fruit means delicious jars of juice or syrup once you've consumed the tasty fruit...what then? Add it to freshly brewed tea for amazing, naturally-sweetened fruity iced tea.
When you’re into canning fruit, there is always the juice leftover to deal with. This isn't usually a problem, someone is happy to chug this straight from the jar! You can make gelatine gummies with it - I've done elderberry but any fruit will be great. If you’d like to try something a little different, this is a great way to flavour a basic iced tea.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Waste not, want not! The whole idea of preserving food is to use every part. No need to waste the juice after you eat the fruit.
- Make fun flavoured teas that the entire family will love. They will feel like it's a treat to get some juice, but you know it's all with natural sweeteners and homemade!
- Make a huge jar to keep in the fridge so you are always ready when guests drop by to sit on the porch and visit.
Key Ingredients
Canned fruit - I use the juice from canned blueberries, but you can use any juice you have on hand. Peach, strawberries, anything is great here.
Tea bags - I generally use green or black. Just remember to let people know if your tea is caffeinated or not!
Lemon juice - this cuts the sweetness and I think it's also the perfect accompaniment to tea.
How to Make Canned Fruit Iced Tea
Step 1: Add tea bags, lemon juice, and salt to a gallon jar. Add hot tap water and let steep for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the tea bags and add in the blueberry juice. Top off the jar with cool water.
Step 3: Give a quick taste and adjust for sweetness or lemon. Chill and serve!
Tips and Tricks
- Scale this in half if you only have a half gallon pitcher on hand (or use two pitchers!).
- Test this with different types of tea to find your favorite.
- Don't skip the salt or lemon juice - I find they really balance out the sweetness from the canned fruit.
Substitutions
Use any sort of canned fruit juice you have on hand. Make fun combinations! Let the kids pick their favourites.
Try flavoured tea in addition to the juice. Maybe a peach tea with blueberry juice??
Depending on how much sugar you put in your canned fruit, you might find it sweet enough, or like you need to add some honey or sugar to sweeten it more. If by chance you make REALLY sweet canned fruit...you might need to dial back how much of the fruit juice you add total.
FAQs
For us here, I'm not worried. I'm not using super hot water, just hot enough from the tap so that I don't have to heat a kettle. It all depends on if you consider your hot tap drinkable, which depends on your pipes and the age of the system and all that. You can always heat water on the stove or in the microwave if you prefer.
Absolutely! Customize this however you like. Just keep in mind I use "three teabags" so use your best guess as to how much loose tea that translates too. I also steep a bit longer than the package states. Because we are adding a decent amount of fruit juice it will cut any bitterness from the long steep.
More Cool Drinks
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Naturally Sweetened Blueberry Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned blueberry juice from canned blueberries (or other juice from canned fruit)
- 3 black or green tea bags
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch salt
- 1 quart hot water
- Cold water to cover
Instructions
- In a gallon jar, put your tea bags, lemon juice, salt and hot water and let steep 15 minutes.
- Take the tea bags out, add in blueberry juice and cold water to fill. Taste for sweetness/lemon juice and adjust as needed.
- Serve over ice or chill for later.
Notes
- Use any fruit juice you'd like.
- Depending on how much sugar you put in your canned fruit, you might find it sweet enough, or like you need to add some honey or sugar to sweeten it more. If the chance that you make REALLY sweet canned fruit...you might need to dial back how much of the fruit juice you add to it.
- If you don't have a gallon jars, feel free to scale this in half for a half gallon jar/jug.
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