4 cups (32 ounces) apple cider
1/4 cup loose chai tea leaves
1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
Special equipment:
Cheesecloth
Glass bottles or jars with airtight lids, sterilized
Coffee filter
Narrow-mouth funnel
Place the apple cider and chai tea in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and let boil until the liquid is concentrated and reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
Strain out the chai tea through the cheesecloth and return the cider to a cleaned saucepan. Add the sugar to the cider and boil over medium-high heat until dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Let the syrup cool at room temperature before bottling. Strain it through a coffee filter 1 or 2 times to remove any extra tea or spice bits for the cleanest presentation before transferring it to jars or bottles.
The syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or canned in a water bath and stored unopened for up to 6 months in a dark pantry.
Gift Wrap Option
Glass bottle with airtight lid
Ribbon
Wax and wax sealer (optional)
Transfer the syrup to a clean, pretty bottle. Wipe the rim and seal. Lay the bottle on its side. Place a length of ribbon across the neck of the bottle. Light a wax stick (if using) to drip over the meeting spot of the ribbon and press the sealer (if using) into the hot wax to form an imprint.
Alternatively, make a seal on a separate piece of paper and adhere it to the bottle with a touch of glue or tape.
Text excerpted from Food Gift Love, © 2015 by Maggie Battista. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.