Plum Fennel Iced Tea Recipes

PLUM FENNEL ICED TEA

Steps:

• Put tea bags in a quart-size glass measure or heatproof bowl.
• In a saucepan brings 4 cups water just to a boil and pour over tea bags. Steep tea 5 minutes and remove tea bags. Cool tea and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
• While tea is cooling, in saucepan stir together fennel seeds, plums, and remaining 2 cups water and boil 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into a heatproof pitcher, pressing hard on solids. Cool mixture and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
• Stir in tea and syrup. Serve tea over ice in tall glasses and garnish with plum slices.
• In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring, and boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Let syrup cool and chill, covered. Syrup may be made 2 weeks ahead and chilled, covered. Makes about 2 cups.

LEMON FENNEL ICED TEA

Steps:

• In a saucepan stir together the water, the honey, and the fennel seeds and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tea bags and 3 strips of the zest, and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine sieve set over a heatproof pitcher, let it cool, and add the lemon juice. Chill the tea, covered, for 1 hour, or until it is very cold. Divide the iced tea among tall glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each glass with some of the additional zest.