Spiced Pear Iced Tea
Spiced Pear Iced Tea
Chilled black tea infused with ripe pear, cinnamon, lemon, and a light touch of honey for a refreshing spiced drink.
Spiced Pear Iced Tea starts with strong black tea, then softens it with ripe pear and a cinnamon stick while the tea is still hot. The result is clean and brisk rather than syrupy, with the pear giving the drink a rounded fruit flavor.
A short warm steep is enough to pull flavor from the fruit without making the tea bitter. Lemon juice brightens the finished pitcher, and honey adds just enough sweetness to tie the pear and spice together.
Serve the tea thoroughly chilled over plenty of ice. Thin pear slices in the glass make it feel special, but the drink is simple enough to keep in the refrigerator for everyday sipping.
For the best flavor, use a pear that smells fragrant at the stem and yields slightly near the neck. Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc pears all work well, as long as they are ripe but not mushy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Bring the water to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan, then remove it from the heat.
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2
Add the tea bags, sliced pear, and cinnamon stick. Cover and steep for 6 minutes, keeping the tea bags fully submerged.
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3
Remove the tea bags and discard them. Leave the pear and cinnamon in the hot tea for 4 more minutes to deepen the fruit and spice flavor.
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4
Stir in the honey while the tea is still warm, tasting and adding a little more only if the pear is not very sweet.
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5
Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof pitcher, pressing the pear slices gently to release their juices without forcing pulp through.
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6
Stir in the lemon juice, then let the tea cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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7
Refrigerate the pitcher until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.
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8
Serve over ice with fresh pear slices in each glass.
Ingredients
- Water:6 cups
- Black tea bags:5
- Ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced:1 large
- Cinnamon stick:1
- Honey:3 tablespoons
- Fresh lemon juice:2 tablespoons
- Ice:as needed
- Pear slices, for serving:as needed
Tips & Notes
- Do not steep the tea bags longer than 6 minutes, or the black tea can taste harsh after chilling.
- For a stronger pear flavor, refrigerate the strained tea with a few fresh pear slices for up to 4 hours, then remove them before serving.
- If the tea tastes flat after chilling, add a small squeeze of lemon juice rather than more honey.
