Description
Comforting hot drink made by roasting your favorite combination of fresh fruit, sweetener and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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 .