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Blackberry Passionfruit Iced Tea

Paula@Musings&Glimpses
Bursting with vibrant summer flavor, this refreshing iced tea blends the tart, tropical sweetness of passionfruit with a rich, homemade blackberry simple syrup. Served crisp over ice and finished with fresh mint, it is the perfect sweet treat for a sunny afternoon.
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Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Refreshing Drinks | Non Alcohol
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Small Saucepan
  • Electric Kettle (or another sauce pan)
  • Stove
  • Wooden spoon
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Measuring cup
  • 2 Cup or larger liquid measuring cup
  • Large liquid pitcher
  • Tall Glasses
  • Potato masher or fork

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Frozen Blackberries
  • 1 cup Frozen Passionfruit
  • 4 Iced Tea bags (regular or decaf) I used Luzianne 

  • 1 1/2 cups Sugar Or honey, artificial sweetener
  • 1 cup Water
  • Ice
  • Water To fill your container

Instructions
 

  • Tie the tea bags up together, and place in pan with water or in your electric tea pot with the tags hanging out and bring to boil. Then take off heat and steep for about 5 minutes.
  • Next while your tea is brewing. Place the frozen fruit in a sauce pan, with about 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and about 1 cup of water. And bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Now turn heat off and mash fruit with a potato masher or fork. And let stand for about 5 more minutes.
  • Next Place your fine mesh strainer over a 2 cup or larger liquid measuring cup and strain fruit.
  • Now pour your brewed tea & fruit juice and more water to fill up & into a pitcher and chill for at least 1 hour.
  • Serve over ice and ENJOY!

Notes

Notes & Tips

 
  • Subbing Fresh for Frozen: If fresh blackberries aren’t in season, frozen berries work perfectly for the simple syrup! Since they are being heated and mashed anyway, you won’t lose any of that beautiful color or flavor.
  • Controlling the Sweetness: You don’t have to dump all the simple syrup into your pitcher at once. Mix in half first, taste it, and gradually add more until it reaches your preferred sweetness level. You can store any leftover syrup in a sealed mason jar in the fridge for up to two weeks!
  • Don’t Squeeze the Pulp: When straining your syrup, let gravity do most of the work. You can gently press the berries to get the juice out, but scraping and forcefully pushing the pulp through the mesh can make your final syrup cloudy instead of clear and bright.
  • Chill Your Tea Base: For the clearest iced tea, let your brewed tea cool down to room temperature before putting it in the fridge or mixing it with ice. Pouring hot tea directly over ice can shock it, which sometimes makes the tea look cloudy.
  • Garnish Like a Pro: To get that beautiful presentation, slap the fresh mint leaves lightly between your palms before dropping them into the glass. This “clapping” motion bruises the leaves just enough to release their aromatic oils without tearing them up.

The Simple Syrup Method

Making a simple syrup extracts maximum flavor and color from your frozen fruit while keeping your tea perfectly smooth.
  1. Simmer the fruit:5-7 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine your frozen blackberries, frozen passion fruit pulp, a splash of water, and your preferred sweetener (like sugar or honey). Simmer on medium-low heat until the blackberries break down and release their deep purple juices.
2. Mash and steep: Off the heat.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Take a fork or a potato masher and gently crush the softened blackberries right in the pan to release every last bit of flavor. Let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Strain the syrup: For a smooth texture.
Pour the warm mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or measuring cup. Use the back of a spoon to press down firmly on the fruit solids to get all the juice out, leaving the seeds and heavy pulp behind.
4. Combine and chill: The final mix.
Stir your beautiful, smooth fruit syrup into your brewed black, green, or herbal tea while the tea is still warm so it combines seamlessly. Let it cool, then pour over plenty of ice.

A Few Extra Tips for Success

  • Watch the Passion Fruit Seeds: Frozen passion fruit often comes as pure pulp, but if yours includes the black seeds, the strainer in the method above will catch them perfectly.
  • The “Whole Fruit” Alternative: If you want a more casual look, you can skip the stove entirely and just drop the solid frozen blackberries directly into your iced tea pitcher like colorful, flavor-packed ice cubes! They will slowly thaw, infusing the tea with a subtle flavor.
  • Add a Touch of Brightness: A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a couple of torn mint leaves added right before serving will make those fruity flavors absolutely pop.
Keyword Artisanal,, Fruit Tea's, Fusion, Iced Tea