This is a lemony spiced tea mix with cinnamon and clove that makes great gifts during the holidays, or any time!
My mom made this tea all the time. We used to call it Russian Tea. I used one packet of orange and one packet of lemon Kool-Aid along with two cups of sugar in place of the pre-sweetened drink mixes. Tastes good at a fraction of the cost.
Read More I tried this for the holidays and I used Nestea. One suggestion that I would make is NOT to grind the tea because it turns in a flour like consistancy and makes the tea taste too strong and the other flavors don't come through. I will try this again without grinding the tea.
Read MoreMy mom made this tea all the time. We used to call it Russian Tea. I used one packet of orange and one packet of lemon Kool-Aid along with two cups of sugar in place of the pre-sweetened drink mixes. Tastes good at a fraction of the cost.
This has become one of my favorite tea recipes. It's best around the holidays, but I've been making it year round as well. I usually add a small package of either apricot or peach gelatin to the mix along with a box of red hot candies. Definitely gift giving material. Thanks Julie.
Three out of my four children loved this tea. I thought it was great for a change!! I made a large batch of tea mix and made a batch in my crock pot for New Years. Crock pot kept it warm and ready for everyone to enjoy!!! Great crowd pleaser.
This is an excellent recipe. This is very similar to Russian Tea. To cut down on costs I sub a package of Kool Aid plus sugar instead of the sweetened Kool Aid. For the poster that had trouble getting hers to dissolve, you can place the instant tea powder in a blender or food processor to grind it finer. This is great for gifts. Thank you for the post.
This is so good! I was disappointed when I packaged it all up into jars to give away as gifts, and had none left. I couldn't find plain instant tea powder, only sweetened lemon flavored tea powder, so I used less lemonade powder. It was still delicious and not overly sweet like one would think.
This is excellent. I changed it a little bit (thanks EEASERI!): ½ cup instant tea powder, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 package of unsweetened Lemonade Kool-Aid, 1 package of unsweetened Orange Kool-Aid, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon cloves. And I ground it up in the blender. This is awesome. I expected to need to add more sugar as I tend to like my tea a little sweeter, but it is really good as is. Next time, I think I'll try the much-recommended addition of Red Hots. The nice thing is that extra sugar can be added to the mug after stirring in the tea mix if desired. Thanks for sharing, Julie!
I made a huge batch last night to give as a hostess present and some friends. It was easy to prepare. I put in some decorative jars tied with ribbon and a little hang tag explaining what it was and how to prepare. They went over well this morning. I did try some last night and I didn't think it was sweet enough for my taste but everyone can adjust to their liking. Used generic Walmart brand ingredients.
We've given this as Christmas gifts for years and we get requests for refills all the time. Kick it up a notch by adding red hot candies. Takes a little longer to brew but adds a kick.
The taste is good - but I can't get the Tea to dissolve! I have mixed it with hot water, from a coffee pot and with boiling water - and I still end up with instant tea in the bottom of my cup. I used to drink tea like this at my MOPS meetings, and I never had issues with the tea not dissolving.
I just love this recipe. Good enough for everyday as well as gift giving. Easy enough for my children to make a presents for their teachers. Thanks!
Great mix for gift giving. Taste good and is super easy and quick.
I have been looking for this recipe for years. My mom and I used to make this when I was a little girl, and we would give it as gifts. Reese Witherspoon just mentioned it in her Good Housekeeping article this month. Thanks for sharing!!!!It is wonderful!
This recipe I have been looking for it. It is a best drink I ever had!!! FINALLY someone found it and send that to me. It was SOOO good...yummy! I will have to get those items and make some! :) Perfect on cold night! :)
I really liked this recipe. It definitely has the taste of fall. However, I had to do alot of tinkering to get it where I was satisfied with the taste. I little more of this and a little less of that, kinda thing. I didnt want it to have the taste of too much Tang. And I also added crushed Fire Ball candies. Dont be afraid to go with what your taste buds are telling you.
Delicious, easy to make and I hope my gift recepiants love this as much as we did!! Thanks so much Julie!!!
I matched up huge batches of this, put it into mason jars, and then gave them as Christmas gifts. It was very easy, and very tasty.
My Mom used to make this when I was sick. A good way to get warm fluids and vitamin C down when you've got a cold. Glad I found the recipe here. Very warming and comforting any time.
This is a great basic recipe. However,if you like a more hearty spicy tea-based flavor, add a little more unsweetened tea and a dash or two more of cloves. Otherwise the lemon and orange take over. If you do this, you will have great tea. I even drink this in the spring!
It has a prominent lemon flavor and not as sweet as a Russian Tea, but still very good. I put all ingredients into the blender and it became a fine well blended powder. I store it in empty plastic containers (from tub frosting). This is also lighter weight container to mail; I put the plastic tubs into quart zip lock bag before mailing.
I tried this for the holidays and I used Nestea. One suggestion that I would make is NOT to grind the tea because it turns in a flour like consistancy and makes the tea taste too strong and the other flavors don't come through. I will try this again without grinding the tea.
?Updated: 9-24-2018 So I've been making this for atleast the last 6 years. I may as well not even try to not make this every Christmas. My kids wont have it, Its not Christmas time till the house is filled with the smells of Friendship Tea. I have family and friends requesting my Tea every year. We love it! Also still great for a sore throat.? This is a Holiday must have. I cut down on the cloves and added the red hot candies as someone had suggested, and ran it through the food processor until everything was the same consistency...WOW!! That really kicked it up!! I have given this every year at Chirstmas and everyone loves it. It's great anytime! It is also really nice to sip on when you have a sore throat or feeling under the weather. Makes you want to just hug your mug and say...MMMMMMM!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! My grandmother used to makes this when we had a sore throat! It will definitely be great for homemade Christmas gifts.
I just made this x6! I poured a cup worth into plastic cake decorator bags (the icing cones), twisted and tied off; printed off cute tags saying what the mix is and what to do with it and placed them in cutesy mugs I purchased. I wrapped it up in tissue paper and placed them each in a gift bag and those are my Christmas presents for the neighbors. :) I made some for myself already and I absolutely love it, but I like it a little stronger. Thanks for sharing!
This is exactly what I was looking for. It is excellent!! A friend gave me some as a gift and my kids love to sip on this after playing outside to warm up.
This was a gift from our VBS (Vacation Bilbe School) Administrator who appreciated our help. Needless to say we all contracted head colds with sore throats after working with the children all week. This tea took the pain of the sore throat away.... just what our Lord God prescribed!
This is excellent! Made some for my dad when he wasn't feeling well. It really hits the spot and smells terrific. I took others up on that red hot idea, but I chopped mine up (food chopper wasn't strong enough so I used a good ol' fashioned hammer) so they would dissolve faster. I think I'll be making some of these for Christmas gifts this year.
I've had this recipe for years and make it for Christmas gifts to neighbors, teachers, etc. Everyone loves it! I always keep some for me and my family also.
Was given to my family as a Christmas gift and my husband LOVES it!!! Great recipe.
I LOVE THIS TEA!!! I made a batch to give out as Christmas gifts and had a little extra to keep for myself. Now, 2 months later, I've since made 2 more batches and drink a cup every day at work! Wonderful hot tea for those cold winter months! The flavors are amazing and it smells so good! Thanks for the great recipe.
I first had this back in the late 90s, early 2000s and forgot about it. A few weeks ago, somebody had tins of it as wedding favors, and I remembered how good it was. So I made a bunch to jar up as Christmas gifts. I couldn't find plain instant tea, only lemon, so I decreased the lemonade powder a bit and upped the orange to balance it. I also went a little heavier on the cloves and cinnamon. Some indicate that the sediment you might get at the bottom is undissolved tea powder; its actually the cloves...they flavor well, but don't fully dissolve.
Love it! I do not like Tang or Cinnamon indivudially but together they are awesome! I'm not a hot tea drinker but I will be!
I had this Tea a couple of years ago at a church function but lost the recipie. I think this is it or perfect enough
I added 1 tsp of honey to each cup. Been reading that honey and cinnamon are good for whatever ails you. It was too sour. honey made it great.
Love this. It's a tradition -- starting in Fall & going through Winter. Wonderful gift for neighbors, teachers, family. Got "quilted" jar by Better Homes & Gardens at WalMart last year - with a place for label on the glass. Added a classy touch!
I make a big batch and give it out at Christmas time! I use the recipe exactly as written. It's Terrific!
This is a great winter drink. It also makes a good gift if you put it in a cute jar
My sister used to make something like this when we were younger (we're in our 50s). I loved it. And glad to found this one tastes like hers. We just called it orange spiced tea. She's a huge tea lover. Good stuff!
I made this according to the recipe. It did not dissolve well. My husband and I do like it. Next time I'll add the red hots as others suggested.
I received this as a gift last year. My husband tried it and really enjoyed it, so I went on the hunt for the recipe. This will be a cubbard standard. Thank you.
My momma made this for us when I was little. I still make it for my grown kids and grandkids. Delicious!!
QUESTION: Does anyone know how I can make this a little healthier using something other than white sugar? And maybe using essential oils?
I had this when I was a young girl and have been looking for the recipe for years! Absolutely love it.
This recipe made the house smell good and was easy for my children to make.
I love this stuff. My sister gave me some for Christmas last year and I drank it all so quickly, then found this recipe. I've been making it every week, it seems! This is by far my favorite drink and I can easily make it decaf by using decaf instant tea. I also sub out a packet of lemonade kool-aid for the lemonade, that way I can use a bit less sugar because I like my drinks to be not very sweet. I love, love LOVE this stuff.
This is so good. I made half a batch because I never had it before and wanted to try it. I used the kool-aid and sugar suggestion(by EEASERI), but used remainder of recipe as stated. Now the only thing now is I have to make a full batch because its that good. Thanks for the recipe Julie
A friend of mine that passed away a few years ago used to make this for me every single Christmas. . Still one of my all-time favorites
