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Agave-Sweetened Orange-Orange Pekoe Tea

photo of Bryant Terry's sweet tea with orange in a mason jar.
Agave-Sweetened Orange-Orange Pekoe TeaSara Remington

Ma'Dear, my maternal grandmother, would sun-brew gallon jars full of Sweet Goodness on sweltering hot summer days. Recollections of those containers full of cinnamon-colored tea sitting on her back porch bring back sweet memories of simpler days. This version will satisfy the snootiest of Sweet Tea connoisseurs (read: my mom) and won't give drinkers an insulin spike since it is sweetened with agave nectar.

Soundtrack: "Mississippi Goddamn" by Nina Simone from Protest Anthology

Recipe information

  • Yield

    12 to 14 servings

Ingredients

12

cups cold water

2

2-inch cinnamon sticks

12

tea bags orange-flavored black tea

2

cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1

/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1

1/2 cups agave nectar

Ice cubes

Thin orange wedges, for garnish

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    • In a stockpot, combine the water and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add the tea bags, orange juice, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    • Remove the lid, allow the tea to cool, and remove the tea bags with a slotted spoon.

    Step 3

    • To serve, ladle into pint-size canning jars filled with ice and garnish with orange wedges.

From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry. © 2009 by Bryant Terry. Published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Reprinted by permission.
Explore Bon AppétitCold DrinkBlack TeaSouthernAmericanSoul FoodOrangeCitrusFruitCinnamonBeveragesVeganVegetarianNonalcoholicEasyJuneteenthCookbooksEpicurious