Apple Tea with Cranberries and Spices

Name: Apple Tea with Cranberries and Spices
Ingredients: 50 g quality black tea (large-leaf); 50 g dried cranberries; 3 medium apples (fragrant); 2 cinnamon sticks; 5-6 cardamom pods; juice of half a lemon

A wonderfully aromatic tea blend made right at home. This tea has a lovely fragrance — you can clearly detect the cinnamon and a gentle apple aroma, all beautifully accented by the distinctive scent of cardamom. Making your own tea blends at home is really quite simple, and you can freely adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. Feel free to use other spices you enjoy, such as star anise, allspice, vanilla, or cloves. Instead of apples, you can add pieces of dried citrus (orange or lemon). This way, you can create your very own unique tea blend.

Ingredients:

50 g quality black tea (large-leaf)
50 g dried cranberries
3 medium apples (fragrant)
2 cinnamon sticks
5-6 cardamom pods
juice of half a lemon

How to cook apple tea with cranberries and spices

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon.

Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut into small cubes about 1 centimeter wide. Drizzle with lemon juice right away so the apples don't have a chance to brown.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the apple pieces out in a single layer. Place in an oven preheated to 100–120°C (212–248°F). Dry for approximately 1–2 hours; the exact time will vary depending on your oven. If your oven has a convection setting, that's the best option to use. You can also prop the oven door open slightly to allow excess moisture to escape.

The dried apples will shrink considerably in size.

Lightly grind the cinnamon sticks and cardamom (first remove the cardamom from its pods) into fairly coarse pieces. I used a blender, but a mortar and pestle works just as well. I then sifted the ground spices through a tea strainer to get rid of any fine spice dust. That powder won't be needed for the tea — you can save it to use when braising meat, for example.

Combine the tea, dried apples, dried cranberries, and ground spices in a container and mix well.

Transfer to an airtight tin and let it steep for 1–2 weeks, or longer if you like.

Pour boiling water over the tea and let it steep for 7–10 minutes to bring out the full aroma, then add sugar to taste. It's best brewed in a cup so you can eat the apples and cranberries — though they do have a tendency to sink sneakily to the bottom. This apple tea has a soft, delicate aroma and makes a delightful change of pace among your everyday home beverages.