I didn’t know what roasted fruit tea was until my Czech aunt gave me a jar of it a few years ago. I tried it and immediately got hooked. It is basically like sangria, but you drink it hot.
Imagine a cup of steaming liquid, scented with cinnamon and vanilla, maybe brandy, with juicy fruit on the bottom. So cozy and comforting!
The recipe is versatile and up to your taste and fantasy, because you can make it with your favorite mix of fruit, and add your favorite spices.
It’s so delicious with just hot water poured over it, but you can elevate it by combining it with hot black tea, or adding a tablespoon of rum or brandy.
And it’s so easy and fast to make: get the fruit, mix it with sugar and spices in a baking pan, roast for 30 minutes, ladle into jars, and let cool.
For this recipe I wanted two different colors of tea, so I went with light fruit (pineapple, kiwi) for one version, and used red and blue fruit (berries) for the other version.
You should only use thin-skinned, naturally juicy fruit such as berries, or something that’s easy to peel (apples, pears, pineapples).
My aunt makes it with black and red currant, among other combinations, and the blend of very sour fruit with sugar is magical.
I don’t think bananas would work here. And I love the idea of making it with oranges and grapefruit, but peeling and segmenting two pounds of them, not so much.
The roasted fruit tea makes great gifts too. Get some pretty jars, put a bow on them and give them away around holidays.
Do you know what else is a great gift and looks pretty in a jar? This granola:
Chocolate Granola With Pistachios, Almonds and Dried Currants
Now you.
Are you gonna add brandy to yours? You will. Haha, I knew it!
Tell me in the comments.
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Roasted Fruit Tea (Berry & Tropical)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 small jars 1x
Description
Comforting hot drink made by roasting your favorite combination of fresh fruit, sweetener and spices.
Ingredients
- Variation 1: Berries
- 2¼ pounds fresh berries (about 1/3 each strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or your favorite ratio), washed
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon, squeezed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Variation 2: Pineapple & kiwi
- 1 large pineapple
- 5 medium kiwi
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 large lemon, squeezed
- 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
- ½ teaspoon dried ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Variation 1. Hull the strawberries. Make sure the fruit is roughly the same size—you might want to cut some large strawberries in half.
- Variation 2. Peel and trim the pineapple, and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Peel the kiwi and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
- Variation 1 & 2. Add the fruit to a large casserole dish. Add the sugar, lemon juice and spices, and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
- Roast in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until soft and juicy, about 30 minutes.
- Ladle into clean glass jars, leaving 1/8 inch of headroom. Screw in the lids and immediately turn upside down—this seals the lids and preserves the fruit tea. Let cool completely in this position.
- Store in a cool dry place. After opening, store in the fridge.
- How to use roasted fruit tea: Place 3 tablespoons in a cup, and add hot water, or hot black tea. Stir. Add more roasted fruit to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of rum or brandy if you like.
Notes
- You can easily double or triple the recipe.
- Experiment with the sweetener if you like and use other sugars such as coconut sugar, or a sugar replacement like Swerve.
- Experiment with different fruits. Use one kind or a mixture of your favorite ones.
- Experiment with the spices and flavorings, such as fresh grated ginger, few drops of rose water, dried lavender, or almond extract .
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