Cherry Orange Iced Tea Mocktail for a Crowd

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 2 black tea bags (English breakfast works well)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 2 ½ cups just-boiled water
• 2 cups cold water
• 3 cups pitted cherries (about 1 lb), fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Honey, to taste (optional)
• Ice cubes

Instructions

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from 1 orange in long strips. Put the strips in a heatproof pitcher.
2. Add the tea bags, 1 tbsp of the sugar and the just-boiled water. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bags, stir in the cold water and let the tea cool to room temperature.
4. Cover the pitcher and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. Squeeze the juice from the peeled orange. Put the cherries, the juice and the remaining 1 tbsp sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cherries are soft and the liquid looks syrupy.
7. Remove from the heat. Mash the cherries with a potato masher or fork.
8. Press the mixture through a coarse sieve into a bowl, using the back of a spoon. Throw away the pulp left in the sieve.
9. Let the cherry syrup cool completely, about 20 minutes.
10. Stir the cherry syrup and vinegar into the chilled tea. Taste, and add honey if you want it sweeter.
11. Slice the second orange. Fill 6 tall glasses with ice and a few orange slices, then pour in the iced tea.