Iced Tea
May 6, 2011 § 1 Comment
Lemon verbena on my balcony on a sunny, hot spring day
Although it’s a little hard to tell with the up and down weather we’ve been having here in Jerusalem, spring is well underway and summer is just around the corner. Some days this week were downright hot which means my iced tea craving kicked in along with thoughts of long hot days, melting popsicles and memories of blazing Israel summers gone-by.
When cool showers become the norm, I always have a pitcher of my favorite iced herbal tea in the fridge. Although this recipe is quite fluid and changes depending on my mood, what’s available, and what country we are in, it always includes dried hibiscus and something fruity like blueberry or cranberry tea, along with something neutral such as white tea or a mild decaffeinated green tea. Throwing in some fresh herbs such as peppermint or verbena can be very nice too.
Iced Tea
Bring a pot of water barely to a boil — about 2 liters/ 2+ quarts (that’s what fits in my pitcher). Take the pot off the heat and let it sit for a minute then add your blend of teas. To give you an idea of how much I use, here is a standard dinner plate, with the loose tea I used to make one pitcher:
dried hibiscus tea (bottom) and a fruity tea blend from the shuk (top)
Let your teas steep for 3-5 minutes, then remove loose tea/tea bags from the pot, or pour tea through a sieve into a pitcher. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Obviously you will need to play with your quantities, but just remember, if your tea ends up too strong you can always water it down a little, and you’ll have more experience for next time.
I have often debated making my own iced tea rather than buying a mass produced one – thanks for the inspiration and directions dried hibiscus and cranberry tea sounds perfect!!now I will surly give it a try:)