I love the citrus tea that is  sold in the asian supermarkets in my local area. I decided to make my own without the extra preservatives. Sugar content for this recipe may seem high but you will only be using about a tablespoon per serving.  The typical citrus teas in Korean and Japanese culture are made yuzu or yuja  fruit. This fruit is hard to come by in the U.S. so I used lemons and oranges for my recipe. Lemons and oranges are known to be packed with vitamin C. These two fruits are awesome to help fight off colds and act as a natural antihistamine.  I drink it as a hot tea when I have a stuffy nose. It works well to break up nasal congestion. This refreshing tea may be consumed hot or cold just add water.

Yields enough  to fill 2 one pint-sized mason jars recipe may be doubled to make larger amount

Ingredients

2 Oranges

4 Lemons

2 Cups of organic sugar (I used Zulka organic sugar this brand is vegan and kosher) sugar used in this recipe is used in a 1:1 ratio

1/4 cup of raw honey

1 Teaspoon of Manuka Honey ( I will have a whole post on this amazing honey soon)

1/4 cup of baking soda – The skins of the fruit  are to be eaten so it is necessary to cleanse the fruit well. Cleansing also helps to soften the skins.

Directions

Wash fruit with water and baking soda in a sink or large bowl. I have a vegetable brush to scrub the outside but just using your hands will be fine. Drain and rinse well.

Slice fruit. Start by cutting in half then slice thinly . *HEALTHY TIDBITS – For an added health boost you could grate or thinly slice some fresh ginger root. The addition of ginger would give this tea a little bite and add anti-inflammatory properties.

At this point it is time to add your sugar and honey. Depending on the size of your fruit you may end up with a little more or less than 2 cups of fruit. I ended up with 2 and 1/2 cups of fruit. I opted not to add the 1/2 cup of sugar to keep the one to one ratio because I used the honey to make up for it. Adjust as needed.

Mix well. Stir until all sugars are incorporated and the natural juices of the fruit are starting to come out of the fruits.

Add to jars or whatever glass air-tight container you are using. Tea may be consumed immediately . I recommend keeping tea in the refrigerator for at least 3 days for the sugars and natural juices of the fruit to soften the skins and infuse all the flavors together to yield a delicious tea.

This would make a great gift or care basket item. I gave my second jar to my mom.  I hope you enjoy this tea and share this recipe with others.