I know we’ve discussed my love of mason jars, right? Have we ever discussed the love of my husband? Well, I love him, and to prove it I make him Russian Tea.
Wait, what’s that? That’s not speaking volumes of the love I have for him? Then you must not have the whole story. Let’s chat for a second, shall we.
There’s an important ingredient up there in that picture. That ingredient is single handedly expressing my love for my husband. That ingredient…cinnamon.
I have this strangely strong aversion to cinnamon. The smell of it is cherished among so many people around the world! For me, it is extremely strong and if I’m around those spicy Autumn aromas too long I get a massive headache. And the taste, oh man, I can’t handle the taste. I can taste cinnamon in a recipe, even if no one else can! I don’t know what it is about that spice, but I can’t handle it.
Yet I do for my family. I have to hold my breath and I even leave the room until the powder settles if I’m sprinkling it on top of things. I may even give the kids snacks containing their beloved cinnamon, but then I have to disappear for awhile until the cinnamon smell dies down.
No, I’m not over reacting. I wish I were! I wish up on all wishes that I could enjoy the gooeyness of a cinnamon roll. Or that I could fill my home with the scent of Fall! But, with scent, comes taste. If anyone knows how much scent affects taste, it’s me. When I smell cinnamon, I taste it. While other people are enjoying this phenomenon, I’m holding my breath hoping I can find fresh air as soon as possible.
So, back to how much I love my husband. Sure, he could mix up this fantastic orangey, cinnamon spiced tea all on his own. He does on occasion. However, he’s in the military. He travels…a lot. He’s busy, he’s not always home, but I like to bring a little home to him. When he is home, I like to give him a little bit of the season in a hot cup of Russian Tea and hope it gives him a little bit of time to destress.
If you’d like to do that for someone you love, or even just to indulge in on your own. I’m sharing the recipe my husband grew up on for Russian Tea. Just look at how beautiful it is in the jar. It makes the patterns on it’s own as you pour it in the jar.
That right there is love.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tang
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup instant tea
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients together and store in a container with a tight fitting lid. For us, this fits perfectly in a quart sized mason jar. To serve, add 2 heaping teaspoons per cup of hot water (more or less to taste).
That’s it. Super simple and it makes a great gift for the holidays!
What is your favorite hot drink to enjoy when the weather gets cooler? Tell me in the comments.
My mom used to make this for us! Brings back memories
We found out it also makes a sweet, refreshing iced tea in the summer! Did you guys ever try it that way? I’m really thinking about changing up the spices and making it for myself sans cinnamon.
We usually drank it hot but I can see how it would be good iced.
No way is that stuff good. really? It’s good? Instant tea and tang and cinnamon?
Hey, the family seems to like it 😉 Who doesn’t like tang! Instant orange drink, yum!
This recipe has been around for many years. I like it. And so do many others 🤷🏽♀️ Maybe try it and see if you like it.
Really Tang? I never would have thought. But I loves some Tang, and Tea!
I remember drinking Tang when I was a kid, but I’d forgotten about it until my husband presented me with this recipe he grew up with. Now we buy one container of Tang every year just to make a stock of Russian Tea, lol
Love this idea & sounds delicious. I haven’t had Tang in years.
I was the same way! However I don’t like cinnamon, so I might have to create a non-spiced version and see what I can come up with.
I love cinnamon but also find it’s smell and taste ridiculously strong. I found out a handful of years ago that I actually am allergic to it. Not like stop breathing and die, just that it was noted on my allergy panel. It’s possible maybe your heightened senses towards it are the reflection of an allergy perhaps? If I am around it too long I get itchy. And if I consume too much I get a sore throat or mouth blisters. So I don’t really eat it unless there is something absolutely amazing I can’t live without!
Just try different spices. Cloves are good. Allspice is nice. Nutmeg. Cardamom.
Yes! And there are several kinds of spices called Cinnamon. They are not the same. Try different kinds to see if there is one that suits the maker. I order mine from Amazon and it is a Ceylon cinnamon, a true cinnamon.
I think I’m going to have to mix up some of this for Christmas gifts. Thank you!
YES!!! This makes a great Christmas gift. So easy to decorate the jars too. Maybe even tie a red ribbon with some cinnamon sticks stuck in it.
Oh my goodness this sounds good! I love tea 🙂
You’ll have to try it and let me know what you think of it. It makes great gifts in jars too!
I am a tea junkie, so I click right over to this recipe from Learn to Blog hangouts. I also love mason jars. Very cute.
Tea and mason jars! You can’t get any better than that!
The balance of the ingredients was not what I expected. This came across as a highly orange-flavored drink. My daughter commented that it tasted like Metamucil.
Interesting. My husband LOVES this recipe. It’s the one I make for him every year, and the one his mother made for him. I’m sorry it wasn’t something you cared for, but I’m glad you gave it a try and shared your experience. If you decide to try it again and adjust the ingredients please let me know so I can give it a go for my husband. Maybe he’ll like a new recipe even better!
Where do you find instant tea? Do you find it in a certain brand?
We’ve always used NESTEA® Unsweetened Iced Tea Mix for this recipe, it’s a powdered ice tea. I think Lipton has an instant tea too. There might be other brands.
My mom used to make this when we were kids. She added red hot candies which melted in the hot water. So tasty. I found your recipe looking for a replacement recipe as we’ve lost her handwritten recipe along the way.
I hope this comes close. I had never heard of this recipe until I met my husband. I’ll let him know about the red hots! We have a jar of them in the pantry. I’m sure he’ll be excited to give it a try. Thanks for the tip!
My grandmother used to make this. Haven’t had it in years. Nice memories.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I also grew up with this tea and love it and the memories that it brings.
Enjoy! It wouldn’t be the winter season around here for our family without it. 🙂
What is Tang?
Tang is a sugary orange flavored powdered drink mix. It might be something in the USA only, I’m not sure. You might be able to substitute another orange drink powder for this if you have any where you’re at.
I have bought the other off brand orange powder and it didn’t work!!! It tasted like kool-Aid instead of Tang
I make this with a slightly different recipe – no sugar, but some lemonade mix. You ask what my other soothing hot drink is. I like a cup of milk heated with 2 drops of vanilla mixed in. Tastes like tapioca pudding!
Yum!! We call those vanilla steamers in our house, they’re fantastic! We’ll have to try our tea mix with lemonade. It will sort of be a type of Arnold Palmer.
I have been making a similar version of this for the past 49 years. My great aunt in Wisconsin made it for us with a slightly different recipe. Our version is 1 can Tang equal amt of unsweetened instant ice tea mix. Dash of salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together 8 oz hot water with 2 teaspoons mix. It’s theonly hot tea that my daughter will drink!
Cinnamon. .. you may be allergic to it. My DIL & Grandson both are. They avoid places like Hobby lobby or JoAnns in the fall…
Try using CARDAMUM in place of Cinnamon in your recipes.
Thanks for the recipe. Brings back fond memories of ife in Alaska snow! I have seen an Inatant Tea in BJS now I will get it just to make this!
I substitute country time lemonade for some of the tang. Then I make it powdery and more consistent by putting it in a food processor. I am glad someone else shares my fondness for this.
Sort of like a powdered Arnold Palmer that way!
P.lease don’t call it Russian Tea, though. Russians drink real tea. 🙂
I have no idea how it got that name, LOL. I drink real tea too though. This recipe is all for my husband.
It has been called Russian tea for as long as I can remember. I drank it the first time when I was a child. My aunt used to make batches of mix every Christmas.
My mother made this and I followed. We called it Spiced Tea. Loved it.
What and how would you triple the recipe and could you put it into smaller jars for like selling at a farmers market? I lost my job so I am selling homemade items at our summer farmers market.. just need some advice
You could absolutely triple the recipe. Just multiply all the amounts by three and go from there. I don’t know the home cooking rules for Farmers markets, but I know I have divided this recipe into smaller jars for gifts.
I love hot tea, I also make hot rum punch, it’s
Great when you have a few friends over and
and it’s cold outside. Making myself thirsty
now.
We used half orange and half lemon. Also try it in 7up. Cold of course. It foams up and is great.
Where do you find Tang these days? I thought it was obsolete! I’ve made a batch of once or twice, a long time ago.
I never get it unless we’re making this recipe, lol. I usually find it at some grocery stores and occasionally at Walmart. I think it depends on the store and the area. If all else fails, you can always order it online!
I love Oregon Chai (available at many stores or on Amazon.com) mixed with warm milk. It’s delicious & soothing, easy to make & warms me all over!
When making Russian Tea, I don’t use Tang, but put in real orange slices with the peal on them. Quite delightful & reminds me of Wassel.
I love adding real orange to tea. It really does add a beautiful flavor and aroma.
First had Russian Tea over 50 years ago in college! Our recipe was very similar: 1 C Tang, 1 6-oz pkg Wyler’s lemonade, 1/2 C instant tea, 3/4 C sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves. Use approximately 2 tsp per cup of hot water. Thanks for reminding me of this! Think I’ll make some for gifts (using Countrytime lemonade to avoid artificial sweeteners).
I love making this for gifts! It creates such beautiful striations, even when mixed!
You may be allergic to the cinnamon.
It’s a possibility, but there are a few things I can eat with cinnamon in it and I’ve never had any type of allergic reaction to it. I think it’s more of a flavor thing since it’s such a strong spice.
I make multiple batches for friends during the holidays. They love it and do do I. Talk about tang, I also make Tang Pie. It’s good too.
My grandma made this and we called it Christmas Tea, she’d only make it at Christmas time which made it extra special.
I have this exact same recipe for Hot Spiced Tea.
The instant tea…is it sweet tea with additives; decaffeinated?
You can use whatever kind of instant tea you want. I used to use Nestea, which at one time had both caffeinated and decaf, but they no longer make either. Now we use Lipton instant tea, but I don’t think I’ve seen a decaf option. You might have another brand local to you. Also, there are some sweet, lemon instant ice tea options out there if you wanted to try that. Mine has always been made with unsweetened instant tea. I hope this helps!
I have been making Russian tea for years and give it for gifts and keep a bit for myself. I use a few Tablespoons of Country Time Lemonade. I think it must cut down the orange flavor a bit and I think I also use some ground cloves too.