Blood orange is an orange variety with crimson-colored flesh. It is a popular ingredient in various herbal tea blends. Read on to know more about blood orange tea.
We all know that oranges are delicious fruits that offer high levels of nutrition. Being an orange variety, blood oranges are also considered a rich source of nutrition. As the name rightly suggests, these oranges have crimson-colored flesh and can be little smaller in size. It can be consumed raw or can be added to various recipes like salads, sauces and marmalades. Blood orange juice is also used in various beverages, especially cocktails and herbal teas. Nowadays, this orange is being increasingly used in herbal tea blends.
Homemade Blood Orange Tea
If you are interested in preparing tea with blood oranges, rather than using the herbal tea blends, try the following recipe. You may also use regular oranges instead of blood oranges, if the latter is not available.
Ingredients
- Black tea – 1 teaspoon
- Orange liqueur – ¼ cup
- Blood orange – 1
- Boiling water – 2 cups
- Sugar – as per taste
How to Prepare
Take a warm teapot and pour black tea into it. Now, peel a small strip of blood orange zest and keep aside. Squeeze the orange and extract its juice. Now, add the orange zest and two tablespoons of juice to the teapot. Pour two cups of boiling water into the pot and let it steep for three to four minutes. After that, strain the tea and add sugar for taste (use of sugar is optional).
Blood Orange Tea Blends
One of the popular herbal tea blends, blood orange rooibos contains ingredients like rooibos, blood orange, apple pieces, safflowers, rose petals, vanilla, rose hips, hibiscus and lemon flavor. This herbal tea can be prepared by adding the herbal blend to boiling water. You need three tablespoons of tea for half a gallon of boiling water. Let the tea steep for around five minutes. Strain and mix this tea with half a gallon of cool water and let it refrigerate, before use.
You may also consume it hot. All you have to do is to put a teaspoon of tea blend in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for five minutes, before straining. It is not advisable to over steep the tea, as it will make it bitter. You may also add a small amount of sweetener and cream to this herbal blood orange tea. As this tea blend contains various herbs, it will be advisable to seek the opinion of a herbalist, before starting using it on a regular basis. Otherwise too, moderate use will be always better.
So, using blood orange in tea is one of the ways of reaping the nutritional benefits of this fruit. Apart from enhancing the nutrition, this fruit also enhances the flavor of the tea. As in case of other oranges, blood oranges are also rich in antioxidants like vitamin C. The red coloration of blood orange flesh is due to anthocyanins that are considered as powerful antioxidants, which fight free radicals, thereby reducing the risk of various diseases like cancer.
This fruit contains considerable amounts of folate, B vitamins, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, calcium and dietary fiber too. So, you can include this fruit in your diet, in any form like tea, juice, cocktail or salad. However, make sure to use fresh oranges, instead or canned ones. If you are interested in using blood orange tea blends, make sure to purchase this product from trusted and reputed manufacturers. As mentioned above, it will be better to seek the opinion of your doctor, if you intend to use it on a regular basis.
