Fruit Tea Recipe

Steep the Tea

Bring 4 cups water to a near boil (about 200°F/93°C). Remove from heat, add the black tea (2 tsp loose or 2 tea bags) and steep for 3–5 minutes depending on desired strength. For a cleaner fruit-forward profile, steep 3 minutes; for stronger body steam 5 minutes.

Remove tea bags or strain leaves. While tea is still warm, stir in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until dissolved. Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) or place in the refrigerator to chill for 15–20 minutes.

Prepare the Pineapple

If using fresh pineapple, cut into small 1/2-inch chunks to yield about 1 cup. If using canned, drain well. Reserve 2–3 chunks for garnish if desired.

Blend Fruit

Place 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice into a blender. Pulse or blend briefly until you have a slightly chunky purée (you want some texture to remain). Taste the purée and, if it’s too tart, add up to 1 teaspoon sugar and pulse once more.

If you prefer a clear tea rather than pulpy, strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract juices. Reserve the strained solids for garnish or discard.

Combine and Chill

In a pitcher, combine the cooled sweetened tea and the pineapple–orange purée or juice. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: add up to 1 tablespoon sugar or another teaspoon lemon juice if needed. If the mixture feels too concentrated, add up to 1 cup cold water to dilute to taste.

Serve

Fill serving glasses with ice cubes. Pour the fruit tea over ice. Add an orange segment and a pineapple wedge to each glass, and tuck a mint leaf on top for aroma. Optionally stir gently before serving.

Leftovers: Store any unused tea in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving as fruit settling may occur.