Easy Herbal Iced Tea Recipes

It's summertime and hydration is key to enjoying our days with optimum health. I hope you'll enjoy these super tasty ideas and see just how easy it is to learn HOW to make Iced Tea! I am sharing some of my 'go to' herbs and some simple, delicious Iced Tea Recipes with a detailed 'template' which will make it a real no-brainer for everyone to make these refreshers from the garden!

Good quality water is ideal. We are blessed to have an artesian well nearby with an overflowing supply of sweet water! I love to make herbal beverages all year 'round and have some hot weather favourites to share. Enjoy these herbal iced tea recipes made from the best water possible, and enjoy optimum hydration plus healing benefits from the green world!!

Chill out and refresh with EASY to make herbal ice teas and lemonades!

I confess!!  My own personal choice, for herbal iced tea, is fresh Lemon Balm (melissa officinalis)
Melissa's fresh lemony taste is delicious on it's own or in combination. Lemon Balm offers us many healing gifts. It is very uplifting and nourishing AND helps improve digestion. For more info  re Lemon Balm, see this post. It's SO simple to grow. Plant it once and you should have lots!
Have you ever combined Lavender flowers and Lemon Balm? These two combine well and make a delicious herbal iced tea! Check out recipes with Lemon Balm and Lavender here!  Remember this combination (as a tincture) whenever a case of the 'blues' comes to visit. Solo or in combination with other green friends, I hope you'll try missy Melissa!

Doesn't this look SO delish? Below: Lemon Balm Lemonade!

Lemon Balm combines well with other mints. Peppermint (mentha x piperita)
or Spearmint(mentha spicata) are a simple herbal combination, a tasty refreshment ~ ideal for after your meals, to alleviate tummy issues. Heck.. I made some yesterday, just for me ~ just because it's tasty!! For more re 'mint medicine', go here. Add some Basil for a hint of anise flavour.

While on the topic of mint ~ these days, there are limitless possibilities for herbal tea recipes with mints. Apple mint, Pineapple mint, Ginger mint to name a few, and then there's Chocolate mint which can be delicious too. They are ALL tasty!

Borage: Sweet blue (or pink if pollinated) flowers are a festive addition to floral ice cubes! Delicious flavour, tastes a bit like cucumber and will make you think you're at 'the spa'!

Chamomile: So much more than a calming or digestive aid tea. I love chamomile, solo or as a part of herbal iced tea recipes in blends for deep nourishment! Slightly bitter, chamomile adds a 'better digestion' element to your tea!

Ginger: Sliced ginger root steeped in hot water makes an invigorating energizing tea but if you haven't, do try it in a cold tea. It's delicious. It's super tasty. I like to combine it with lemon balm or lemon verbena or hibiscus. More on ginger medicine here.

Green Tea (Camellia senensis) - Contains caffeine, it should be noted. Highly antioxidant, green tea comes with a long list of healing attributes. It combines well with Hibiscus flowers, as well as Ginger root and Chamomile. Experiment! I use tea leaves, normally, but green tea in tea bags from a reputable company can save time and make your tea EASY to assemble.

Hibiscus flowers:  Nutritious and immune-boosting. Tart and lemony too. This is a favourite solo or in blends. Check out Rose-Hibiscus punch here.   Feeling like you could do with an 'uplift'? Try this.

Sumac Berries:  For a wild foraged tea, collect fresh sumac. This herbal iced tea is easy to make for those who have sumac growing nearby. It makes a lemon-y tart drink, very hydrating and a favourite in my family. Make sure you collect RED berries which are in an upright cluster, before on a sunny day (not after a rain) Never collect white or off-white berries. ONLY red berries edible.

Note: Here's the easy way to prepare fresh sumac for your tea.
Harvest the berries. Place in a large pot (or a glass bowl will do fine).
Cover with water and use your hands to agitate the water and the berries. 
Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. This 
Drain. Repeat this procedure twice.
We want to ensure that any insect 'friends' are long gone.
Soaking the berries also allows some of their acid to be released, resulting in a tastier infusion.
There are very fine hairs to deal with as well. We want to strain the final 'rinse' through a coffee filter (easy!) or a very fine sieve. Berries are ready for tea!! 

How to make Herbal Iced Tea:

Here's an easy to follow 'blueprint' that will allow you to make iced tea in 1001+ ways -- You can use your imagination and create fantastic healing, soothing + refreshing beverages all summer long!

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Herbal Iced Tea Recipe "Blueprint"

These EASY herbal iced tea recipes can all be created from this basic template. Change up the flavours + create amazing tasty coolers with healthy benefits! Customize for your needs. Totally adaptable for #keto + #lowcarb lifestyles too!

Cuisine Herbal

Keyword #keto, Herbs, Vegan, Vegetarian

Author Carol Little R.H.

Ingredients

• 7-8 cups good quality water in 2 parts
• ½ - 1 cup herb flowers or dried flowers
• 1 lime thinly sliced, or any citrus for that matter.
• 1-2 cups of coconut water to replace some of the additional water in recipe.

OPTIONAL:

• ½ cup organic sugar or ¼ cup organic honey or 2 drops of stevia

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the plant material and sweetener if using
4. Put a lid on the pot
5. Allow to steep 8-12 minutes
6. If using a sweetener, stir 2-3 times while tea steeps to ensure mixed well
7. Pour your infusion into a glass jar, jug or pitcher.

8. Add additional 3 - 4 cups of good quality water**

Recipe Notes

**I normally gauge this amount and adjust if using ice cubes in the pitcher or if using some coconut water as a part of the 'water'.

NOTE: Easy to make your herbal iced teas #keto or #LowCarb by using Stevia or Erythritol instead of honey or organic sugar or coconut sugar. Look below for my favourite Stevia!

Optional garnishes include sliced cucumbers, fruit, edible flowers, fresh herb leaves.
FESTIVE tip:  Make ice cubes ahead of time with edible flowers, sprigs of fresh herbs or fruit!

Loving your "KETO" lifestyle? Easy to make these glorious herbal iced tea recipes with liquid STEVIA ~~ Here's my own favourite brand by SweetLeaf

Here's hoping you make these herbal iced tea recipes + keep cool + healthy this summer!!!

                         green blessings,  Carol xo