Paul’s Russian Tea Mix

3C Tang

1C powdered lemon Drink

1C powdered instant tea

3/4C sugar

1/4C powdered orange rind

3tsp powdered cloves

2tsp powdered cinnamon

 

Directions and Notes:

1.) Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl and then store in tightly sealed jars.

2.) Do not substitute other powdered orange drinks for Tang. The other guys have some additive that gives their drinks a gagging after taste that gets you right in the back of the throat.

3.) I powder the instant tea granules in the blender before measuring or using. If you don’t crush those little spray-dried spheres, they rise to the top of the conglomerate rather than mixing.

4.) Remove the peel from several oranges, cut into strips and then dry at room temperature for a week or so or in the oven for some hours on the lowest setting. Grate the strips to powder in a blender. The peel is not adequately dry until it is absolutely rigid and snaps like a cracker between your fingers. If you add inadequately dried orange rind to the other powders, the mixture will set up like concrete in storage and quickly become unworkable. Good luck getting it out of the jar without breaking the spoon, the jar or both!

 

Usage:

I make a cup of hot tea with two tea bags and then add three heaping teaspoons of mix. That makes a brew strong enough to draw inquiries from across the lunchroom.

“What is that you’re drinking? It smells like Christmas.”

“Russian Tea mix.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. Grandma used to make that around the holidays. What is that stuff floating on top?”

“That’s orange rind. I add orange rind to give it a little extra zip.”

“Oh. It doesn’t look very appetizing.”

“Yes, well, you see, that way I don’t have to share.”

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