Any herbal tea you have in your cabinet or from the store can be made into an Iced Tea. I just alter the directions a bit.
Cold brew method: Triple the recommended amount of herb and add cold water and refrigerate overnight. Remove tea bags the next morning add ice and enjoy!
Hot Brew Method: Double the amount of herb used. This keeps it from being watered down. Brew double the recommended amount of time. Then remove the bags and let it cool down a bit and refrigerate till cold, or just add ice after it has cooled down a bit.
You can also add Green or Black tea to any recipe. If using the hot brew method then you will want to ensure that you are only steeping at 190 degrees and for no longer than 5 min. Longer brewing results in a dark, full-bodies and increased caffeine.
Try it both ways to see what you like best!
Use good quality filtered water, it makes a difference!
No need to double/triple the following recipes or double time. (They are specific instructions for Cold Tea)
Tips:
- If you are using fresh leaves they look pretty in a jar whole but if you crush them with a mortar and pestle then you will release the flavor a lot more.
- ¼ cup of fruit added to each cup of water will help add more antioxidants and add another depth of flavor to each drink. My favorite fruits to use are all berries. I add these after the tea has cooled down if I use the heat method.
Hibiscus – Spearmint or Peppermint Tea:
- Hibiscus Petals 20g (about 2 tablespoons)
- Spearmint or Peppermint 2g (about 1/2 tsp)
- Honey 1 tsp – this is a bit of a must to tone down the sourness of hibiscus.
- Add to 16oz hot water. Steep for 40 min. Strain and let cool down then refrigerate.
- Add ½ cup of any fresh fruit for extra flavor! Or 1 tsp of Lemon Juice to add a bit extra of a pop of flavor to this!
- Additional Herbal benefits of this tea:
- Hibiscus is an anti-oxidant-rich herb high in vitamin C, that is great for supporting the cardiovascular system for those with High Blood pressure or with Venous insufficiency, and high cholesterol and blood sugar control. It can be helpful to excrete oxalates and uric acid which in turn can be beneficial for those who suffer from kidney stones.
- Spearmint and Peppermint are helpful for nausea, digestive pains, or cramping as an antispasmodic. They are both anti-inflammatory.
Peach-Ginger Tea:
Peach leaf Tea is very cooling in the summer. Ginger mellows that out a bit if you don’t want the tea to be cooling. It also tastes great with Peach!
- Peach Leaf (Dried) 1 Tbsp
- Ginger 2-3 slices of fresh ginger – You can swap with a cinnamon stick
- Peach Fruit slices ½ a peach
- Honey: optional 1 tsp
- Directions: add all to 16oz Hot water. Steep for 40 min. Strain, cool, and refrigerate. Or add all to 16oz cold water and refrigerate overnight.
- Benefits of this tea:
- Fresh Ginger is antiviral and can help keep the viral bugs away. It’s also a potent anti-inflammatory for aches and pains. It also supports the circulatory system for those with venous insufficiency. It is also helpful for those who get nauseous although can sometimes be too spicy for those with ulcers in the stomach/intestines.
- Peach is a lovely cooling nervine for those with “hot emotions” for example easily agitated, nervousness, and restlessness. If you have a lot of heat in the body (higher than average temperature, very red tongue *especially the tip), this can be very helpful
High-C Tea!
- Hibiscus 1tsp
- Rosehips 1tsp
- Peppermint ½ tsp
- Lemongrass ½ tsp
- Lemon Verbena ½ tsp
- Marshmallow ½ tsp
- Mix all together and add to 16oz Cold water (or hot brew method)
- Add a tsp of Honey and Lemon Juice to taste.
- This tea is refreshing and high in vitamin C! If you don’t have Lemon Grass, Verbena or Marshmallow that is fine. You can drop them and just add more lemon juice. If you want the flavor of lemon with less of the sour, then add Lemon zest to your drink instead. The marshmallow helps with the drying nature of this tea but you can also add more honey.
