The Graceful Dame Print

Christmas Tea

Two cups of Christmas tea made with notes of mint, orange, cinnamon, and clove rest on a black surface. Slices of blood oranges as well as pine needles and red beads decorate the surrounding area.

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Wrap your fingers around a warm cup of delightful Christmas tea as it's notes of mint, orange, and warm spices dance across your tastebuds.

Ingredients

Scale

What You'll Need to Make the Christmas Tea Concentrate

1 Quart Boiling Water

9 Tea Bags - 3 Black Tea, 3 Green Tea, 3 Mint Tea

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 tsp. Saffron

1/2 tsp. Whole Cloves

1 tsp. Orange Extract

Additional Ingredients Added Before Serving

4 Quarts Water

3/4 c. Sugar (can be adjusted to taste)

Optional Garnish Suggestions: Slices of fresh or dehydrated oranges, extra cinnamon sticks and cloves

Instructions

How to Make the Christmas Tea Concentrate

  1. In a Tea kettle or medium sized kettle, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. While you wait for the water to boil, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, saffron, and orange extract to a glass quart jar. Next, add the tea bags. The strings attached to the bags should drape over the edge with the paper tabs on the outside of the jar.  [gallery type="rectangular" ids="1361,1360"]
  2. Slowly and carefully, pour the hot water into the jar and quickly screw on the lid. The Jar heats up quickly, so be careful not to burn your fingers!  A jar full of a warm, holiday drink that will be the perfect hot beverage for cold, winter nights.
  3. Let the tea seep for 5-6 hours at room temperature. Then, remove and discard the tea bags. Your concentrate is ready to be used! If you plan to use it immediately, move on with the directions. Otherwise, transfer the jar to the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

How to prepare Christmas Tea for Serving

Now that you've masterfully crafted your Christmas tea concentrate, it's time to turn those flavorful concoctions into heartwarming moments. Whether you're hosting a festive gathering or treating yourself to a quiet evening by the fireplace, here are some directions on preparing and serving the Christmas tea.  An aromatic pot of tea simmered with blood oranges, cinnamon sticks, and cloves is ready to be served to holiday guests!

To heat on the stove top:

  1. When you are ready to serve the tea, pour the tea concentrate, along with the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and saffron that are still in the jar, into a 1 1/2 - 2 gallon stock pot.
  2. Add 4 quarts of water and 3/4 c. sugar. Heat on your stovetop on medium-high. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar.
  3. When the tea reaches a desired temperature, either carefully transfer the tea to a slow cooker or drink dispenser or your choice, or simply serve from the stock pot using a ladle.
  4. Garnish with the orange slices and a few more cinnamon sticks and cloves, if desired.

To heat in a slow cooker:

  1. Add everything (1 quart of tea concentrate, 4 quarts water, and 3/4 c. sugar) to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker and heat on high until desired serving temperature is achieved. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then, set to warm.
  2. Garnish with orange slices and a few more cinnamon sticks and cloves, if desired.

For individual servings:

  1. Use a ratio of 1 part Christmas tea concentrate to 4 parts water. So, for a 10 oz. mug of tea, mix 2 ounces of the concentrated Christmas tea with 8 ounces of hot water.
  2. Sweeten to taste and enjoy!

Notes

Storing Your Christmas Tea Concentrate and Any Leftover Prepared Tea

Creating the perfect Christmas tea concentrate is a labor of love, and preserving its festive medley of flavors is essential to ensure delightful sips throughout the holiday season. Here's a guide to storing your Christmas tea concentrate, making the preparation process seamless whenever the mood for festive cheer strikes:

Refrigerate the Tea Concentrate for Extended Freshness: While the concentrate is ready to use immediately, if you plan to enjoy it over a more extended period, consider refrigerating the jar. The cold environment of the refrigerator helps slow down any potential degradation of flavors, allowing you to savor the Christmas tea concentrate at its best.

Freezing the Christmas Tea Concentrate: After the Christmas Tea has seeped and the tea bags have been removed, it can be frozen, if necessary. I recommend removing the cinnamon sticks and cloves beforehand. Then, pour the tea into a sturdy freezer bag or airtight container and freeze until you are ready to use it.

Refrigerate Any Leftover Christmas Tea: After preparing and serving this Christmas tea, any that remains can be refrigerated to be enjoyed later. Simply allow the tea to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an appropriately sized pitcher or glass jar. Enjoy it hot or iced later!