I’m starting on my friend and neighbor gifts for the year, and trying to make some things early that will keep until I hand them out. This year I’m going for a ‘cranberry spice’ theme. (My dear FIL gave me a HUGE stash of dried cranberries to use up.) I remembered this recipe my mom used to make as gifts back in the 1980’s. Sometimes it’s called Friendship Tea, Russian Tea Mix, Citrus Tea Mix, or Spiced Tea Mix. Whatever you call it, it makes a lovely holiday gift because it is warm and comforting on a cold day. Plus it’s simple and easy to put together, and it’s a gift that the recipient can use up. No unwanted clutter to end up in a landfill.
You can find multiple variations on the recipe around the internet. Some variations use more lemonade, some add more of the spices. It is very forgiving. I settled on a version that looked most like the version mom used to make (then I messed with it - see below). I used Avery 2.5" round Kraft labels, and designed them on Avery’s website, then dug through my novelty yarn stash for something to use as bows. I’ve had the ribbon yarn for about 20 years! Here’s hoping I can use it up this year.
Ingredients - Single Batch
(makes 4-5 half-pint jars)
2 Cups Tang Drink Mix
1 Cup Lipton Unsweetened Instant Ice Tea
1/3 Cup Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix
1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Mix all the ingredients gently in a large mixing bowl. Spoon into airtight containers, then attach labels.
Directions for the Labels: Place 2-3 Tablespoons of mix into a mug. Add boiling water and stir well.
Note: I made a double batch. That required purchasing 2 (20oz) containers of Tang, 1 (2.6 oz) canister of Instant Tea, and 1 (20oz) container of Lemonade mix. After I had mixed all the ingredients in the bowl, I decided to try it before putting it into jars. While I liked it, (it was very soothing on my sore throat) I decided I’d prefer a stronger tea flavor. There was over 1/2 cup of Instant Tea left in the canister, so I added all of it in. Below is my measurements for my altered version, which made 11 half-pint jars.
MistressJennie’s Big Batch Version
4 Cups Tang Drink Mix
1 canister Lipton Unsweetened Instant Ice Tea (2.6 oz - says “makes 28 quarts”)
2/3 Cup Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix
3 Cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Another Note: I just did the math, and if you’re buying the ingredients AND the Mason jars at Walmart in December 2025 (assuming you have sugar and spices in your pantry), it should come to just under $29.60, which works out to $2.69 per gift. If you were to use a little more Tang or Lemonade, you might get a 12th jar out of the ingredients, making the $2.46 per gift.
On Saturday I’ll be making a batch of Cranberry Chutney soy candles with a few friends, using upcycled jars. And closer to Christmas, I’ll make some spiced Cranberry Granola and Cranberry Loaf cakes to add to the gifts.
‘Tis the season to be crafty! This awesome project is featured this week!