Cranberry Tea
In the spirit of Christmas, I’ve got two more cranberry recipes to share with you this week and I’m pretty excited about both of them. This first one, Cranberry Tea, isn’t actually tea at all. It’s more of a hot cranberry cider…but I don’t name the recipes, I just make them. And this is a good one. My aunt started making this recipe a few years ago for Christmas. Not a tea drinker back then, I was initially not interested in a cranberry version. She convinced me to try some, however, and she might be regretting it now, because I loved it so much I now ask for it without fail every Christmas.
It’s a warm soothing drink that’s unique and perfect for this time of year. With the combination of orange juice and cranberries, cinnamon and cloves, it’s full of the flavors of Christmas. It’s also simple to prepare and easy to make in advance. Mike, who sometimes claims he doesn’t like cranberries or tea, loves this drink and has even been known to reach for it instead of hot chocolate. This cranberry tea is one of our favorites and something we look forward to every year.
Ingredients:
To make the concentrate:
1 bag cranberries (12 oz)
2 sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
4 c water
1 - 6 oz frozen lemonade
1 - 6 oz frozen orange juice
To make the tea:
1 cup concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups water
Directions:
To make the concentrate: Combine the cranberries, cinnamon, cloves and 4 cups of water and boil 10 minutes. Cool and strain through cheesecloth 15 - 20 minutes. Add the lemonade concentrate and orange juice concentrate. Boil again. Let cool.
Makes 4 cups of concentrate.
To make the tea: Mix all ingredients together and heat.
from my Aunt Candy
Welcome! I'm Megan and it's my hope that here you'll find food that has been made with love and recipes that are shared with joy. Thanks for stopping by! 
yet another recipe of yours to add to my Friday Favorites list!! Wow — this looks awesome. Thanks for a special beverage treat for the holiday season.
Oh this sounds so delicious! And it is quite beautiful too!
What a wonderful drink to make this week! Thanks for sharing your Aunt's recipe. I'm linking over from Mommie Cooks… love your blog and looking forward to reading regularly. Have a great week…
this sounds delicious!
I need a glass right now. It's no secret that I love cranberries. Maybe I'll get lucky and remember to pick up another back of cranberries at the store this week and can then make this!
That would make an awesome jar-gift. I will have to save this to my holiday file. Thanks for sharing.
This sounds delicious! It looks so pretty and festive too. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds really delicious. I love your pictures! They're so clear & bright. I can't wait to see the rest of the cranberry recipes!
This is a lovely cup of holiday cheer! Not only beautiful to look at but it sounds delicious. Hmmm, now I wonder how this would taste with a wee bit of brandy in it 🙂
Now THAT is my idea of holiday cheer! Yum!
This sounds really interesting. I'm looking forward to trying it out!
delicious festive tea
happy holidays
great idea, it looks super yummy & resfreshing for a cold night.
What a gorgeous and yummy-sounding treat. I have to try this…maybe with a little splash of something on top, if it's extra chilly outside 😉
This looks so pretty. I do love cranberries.
wow this is def new to me! i can imagine a mouthful of x'masy flavours with one sip – too bad i hardly ever see fresh cranberries where i live 🙁 also its great how you have so many family handed down recipes 🙂 thx for sharing!
That sounds amazing! I'm a huge cranberry fan thanks for the share!
I don't really like tea but this sounds interesting. Do you think it would be good cold?
This sounds like a great holiday drink! Love cranberry anything, and lucky for me, I just bought some at the store this past Sunday! And P.S. – I made your peppermint patties last night and they're an absolute hit!
Yummy! I love tea, especially when it's Christmasified!
The cranberry tea looks so inviting and perfect for the holidays!
mmm, this tea looks delicious!
What a festive drink! Perfect for the holidays,
Peggy – I'm glad the peppermint patties turned out so well! I hope you like this cranberry tea as well 🙂
Megan this looks delicious! So perfect for Christmas!!
This drink sounds like the perfect way to counteract the taste of the dough balls! aka. it means I can go have more dough balls 🙂
made this yesterday. just like you described – like a cranberry cider. so scrumptious. already had to pass on the recipe multiple times. =)
danielle – I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know! 🙂
This looks fabulous! I've been on a cranberry kick for a while, and I don't intend to stop just because Christmas has come and gone. 🙂
I served this for the first time at our family Christmas gathering and it was a hit. I sent several family members to your blog for the recipe! BTW…I gave our guests the option of adding orange flavored vodka to their glass…ya~ that was good too!
Tami – I'm so glad you liked this, and your family as well 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
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I keep finding new recipes that I need to try. Thanks Megan.
Have you ever done a Hot Chocolate Bar? What items would you recommend it it?
Hi Beth, I hope you like the tea if you try it. 🙂 I’ve never done a hot chocolate bar, but it sounds awesome! I’m not all that creative so all I’m really coming up with his whipped cream, marshmallows, peppermint candies…?? haha sorry I’m probably not much help! Oh, maybe some sort of coffee creamer to change the flavor? Sorry! I’m guessing google will be a much bigger help than me 🙂
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