Cherry Green Tea Lemonade
This cherry green tea lemonade is a delicious solution to a hot summer day.
During the warmer months, few drinks will quench your thirst quite like a good, cold, iced tea. But the same ol’ ice tea, over and over, can get a little boring. But not today, my darling…. not today. Boredom is about to take a long walk off a short cliff.
Today we’re going to make a cherry green tea lemonade that can be made in your Instant Pot or on the stove top.
Is Green Tea Good For You?
While there will always be people who are an exception, green tea is generally considered to be good for you.
Green tea is packed full of health-promoting compounds. Regularly drinking green tea can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of several diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Drinking three to five cups of green tea per day seems to be optimal to reap the most health benefits.
Healthline.com
Starbucks Green Tea Lemonade
If you’ve ever had a green tea lemonade from Starbucks, you know it can be quite refreshing.
This recipe takes that to a whole new level by giving it a cherry flavor instead of lemongrass. It’s a wonderful twist that you can make for pennies at home instead of paying $4 every time you get thirsty.
What You’ll Need
Tea
1 bag green tea – You’ll want this to be regular green tea without any flavoring added.
1 cup fresh cherries – pitted and de-stemmed. No need to chop them. Save a few for garnish if you wish.
½ medium lemon – including peel. You’ll also want some extra for garnish.
6 cups water – you can add up to 8 cups if you wish. But 6 is best for potency and flavor.
Lemonade
4 cups prepared lemonade – I make mine separately by simply mixing lemon juice, water and sweetener. I make it a quart at a time. I use approximately 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1-2 tbsp. sweetener (or stevia to taste), and then fill up the rest with water. This is completely adjustable. Make sure your lemonade is adjusted to your tastes before proceeding.
Ice – As much as you like for serving.
Lemons and cherries for garnish – Even if you don’t have extra cherries, you’ll want the extra lemon juice for freshly squeezing into your glass.
How To Make Cherry Green Tea Lemonade
Place green tea, pitted cherries, lemon and water into an instant pot or pot. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute or boil for 3.
Let cool and strain out fruit and tea. This tea is tart so if you want it sweeter you can add in 2 tbsp of natural sweetener.
To make the drink add ice to a cup. You want to 50/50 with the lemonade and the tea. If you want to have a stronger cherry taste you can add more of the tea in.
How To Store Cherry Green Tea Lemonade
Most people will store the lemonade separately from the tea so they can adjust the flavors to their liking.
Others, will mix it all together and store it in one container.
No matter how you do it, make sure you discard all the solids in the instant pot. You only want to store the strained liquid.
Keep it in a pitcher or jar with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Cherry Green Tea Lemonade?
Absolutely! Whether you freeze them mixed or separately, this will make excellent ice cubes that you can add to other drinks, or blend for a slushy version of this drink.
How To Make This On Your Stovetop
Instead of brewing the tea in your Instant Pot, you’ll simply simmer it on the stove. Use 8 cups of water instead of 6 to accommodate for liquid reduction during simmering.
Simmer this until it has an agreeable strength of flavor. In my opinion, the stronger the better. But to each his own.
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Cherry Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
Cherry Green Tea Lemonade
Ingredients
Tea
- 1 bag green tea
- 1 cup fresh cherries (pitted and de-stemmed)
- ½ medium lemon (including peel)
- 6 cups water (you can add up to 8 cups if you wish)
Lemonade
- 4 cups prepared lemonade (see recipe link above to make your own)
- ice
- lemons and cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Place green tea, pitted cherries, lemon and water into an instant pot or pot. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute or boil for 3.
- Let cool and strain out fruit and tea. This tea is tart so if you want it sweeter you can add in 2 tbsp of sugar.
- To make the drink add ice to a cup. You want to 50/50 with the lemonade and the tea. If you want to have a stronger cherry taste you can add more of the tea in.
