Prickly Pear Tea Recipe

Prepare prickly pears

Carefully peel prickly pears (use gloves or handle with a towel to avoid glochids). Rinse, then slice off both ends and cut a lengthwise slit. Peel away skin and discard. Chop the pulp into rough pieces until you have about 2 cups.

Simmer fruit

Combine chopped prickly pear, 1 cup water, and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until the fruit is very soft and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should be syrupy and deeply colored.

Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (salt brightens the flavor). Let cool for 5 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl or jar, pressing down on solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Taste the syrup and, if you prefer sweeter tea, stir in up to 1–2 tablespoons honey or additional sugar while the syrup is warm until dissolved.

Cool the syrup to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. The syrup will keep 1 week refrigerated in a sealed jar.

Brew tea

Bring 4 cups fresh water to just under boiling and steep 4 black tea bags for 4–5 minutes for a strong brew (or use 4 cups of already-brewed strong black tea). Remove tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator if making iced tea.

Mix Prickly Pear Tea (Iced)

In a pitcher, combine chilled brewed tea (4 cups) with 1/2 to 3/4 cup reserved prickly pear syrup, depending on desired sweetness and intensity. Stir well. Taste and adjust: add up to another 1/4 cup syrup for a more pronounced prickly pear flavor, or add honey/simple syrup to sweeten further.

Add 4 cups cold water or ice to the pitcher to dilute to preferred strength if the tea is very strong. Stir to combine. Fill glasses with ice and pour the prickly pear tea over ice.

Garnish each glass with lemon slices and a mint sprig, if using. Serve immediately. Store remaining syrup refrigerated and brewed tea covered for up to 3 days; stir before serving.