Garden Tea Punch Recipes

Steps:

• Place water, sugar, mint, and lavender or borage, if desired, in a large stainless-steel or nonreactive pan. Bring to boiling; remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain mixture through 100 percent-cotton cheesecloth-lined colander.
• Add orange juice, lemon juice, and tea to flavored water; chill. Just before serving, add chilled club soda. If desired, sprinkle punch with flower petals and serve with flower ice cubes or ring.
• Flower Ice Cubes: Fill ice-cube trays half full with water and place an edible blossom or petal on water in each cube. Freeze until firm, then fill the tray with water and freeze again.
• Flower Ice Ring: Fill ring mold half full with water and place edible blossoms or petals on water in ring. Freeze until firm, then fill the mold with water and freeze again.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare punch except do not add club soda. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Prepare Flower Ice Cubes or Flower Ice Ring and freeze. Add club soda to punch before serving.

Steps:

• In a pitcher, combine sugar and tea. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in orange juice, pineapple juice and lemonade. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours.
• Just before serving, pour chilled juice mixture into a punch bowl and stir in ginger ale.

Steps:

• In a large heatproof bowl, combine the hot teas and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 4 cups ice, and stir until ice has dissolved and the tea is cool. Add the lime juice and rum, and stir well.
• Transfer to a large punch bowl, and add a large block of ice. To serve, ladle into cups. Grate whole nutmeg or sprinkle ground nutmeg over top. Alternatively, the mixture may be refrigerated until chilled and served in ice-filled cups; garnish with nutmeg.

Steps:

• In a kettle, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. In a large heatproof container, combine tea bags. Pour boiling water over tea bags, and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and discard. Let stand until cool. Transfer to refrigerator until cold, at least one hour.
• Add orange juice and sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to serving container and garnish with fruit. Serve immediately.