A great refreshing iced tea is a summer staple that everyone wants to have around the house. Whether you are entertaining or you just want something great to sip on after a long day, you cannot go wrong with tea. Choose an iced tea that is not only refreshing, but nourishing too, so that you reap health benefits with every sip. There are a number of great herbal tea recipes that translate well to iced teas that are sure to quench your thirst.
It is best to steep your own herbal iced teas to get the most benefit. Commercial and mass-produced options can still have benefits, but when you use fresh herbs you are getting more nutrients and other good things that the herbs have to offer. You can find fresh herbs at a number of health foods stores or grow them yourself to ensure freshness.
Choosing the Best Herbs for Iced Tea
Think about the herbs that will most benefit you and your health. For example, if you have a specific health condition, look at the herbs that are helpful for it. For people with anxiety, chamomile and lavender would be an ideal combination for an iced tea that is relaxing and calming. Remember that you can combine a number of herbs to get a great flavor and help with the ailments that plague you.
1. Hibiscus Iced Tea
While hibiscus alone is tasty and healthy, there is a full recipe that you can use to create a health-boosting treat. The recipe includes:
- One teaspoon of peppermint
- One teaspoon of orange peel
- One teaspoon of rosehips
- Two teaspoons of lemongrass
- Two teaspoons of hibiscus
- Two cups of water
Steep all of the teas and then mix them together. Add more water if necessary to reach two cups. If you want to sweeten it, use an organic honey. This tea option is ideal when you want to boost your energy or concentrate better on the task you are working on.
2. Lemon Balm Iced Tea
If you are looking for an iced tea that helps to calm your stomach and help you to focus, there is a recipe including lemon balm that will do the trick. The recipe includes:
- Two tablespoons of lemon balm leaf
- Two tablespoons of lemongrass
- Two cups of organic ginger ale
- One tablespoon of honey
Steep the herbs in boiling water and then add the ginger ale after to cool the mixture and complete it. You can add extra honey if you want the mixture to be sweeter. You can also add some mint sprigs to enhance the flavor or some cucumber slices to cool this tea even more.
3. Lavender Iced Tea
Lavender is calming and great for anxiety, nervousness or just to relax after a long day. Use the following recipe for a tasty lavender iced tea:
- Four tablespoons of lavender
- One-fourth cup of organic honey
- One-fourth cup of lemon juice
It is best to get the lemon juice from fresh lemons since this ensures that you are getting the most nutrients from the tea. Steep the lavender for at least 15 minutes to really draw out the juices from fresh lavender herbs. You can also use fresh lavender plants for this process, depending on what you have access to.
4. Chamomile Iced Tea
Chamomile is a popular tea option for inducing sleep and helping people to feel calmer. While traditionally this is a hot tea, you can ice it for the warmer months. Use the following recipe:
- Four tablespoons of chamomile
- One-fourth cup of honey
This is a very simple recipe that you can make quickly since you only need to steep the chamomile for about 15 minutes. Add the honey after you fully steep the tea, but before you cool it so that it dissolves easily. You can also add some fresh lemons to this mix to spruce it up a bit and add more flavor.
5. Peaches and Mint Iced Tea
When you combine mint with fruit, it is usually lemons, but mint and peaches actually go well together. For this tea, you need the following:
- One tablespoon of mint leaves
- Two cups of fresh pureed peaches
- Four cups of water
Steep both the peaches and the mint in the water, but steep the mint along for three minutes before you add the peaches to the mixture. This is an energizing tea that is perfect for entertaining.
6. Iced Black Tea
When you order iced tea anywhere, it is usually always black tea, but adding more healthy and flavorful ingredients will take your iced black tea to a whole new level. This recipe helps to boost your immune system and calm inflammation in the body. The recipe includes:
- One tablespoon of black tea leaves
- One-eighth teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- One-fourth cup of black cherry juice
- One-fourth teaspoon of cocoa powder
- Four cups of water
Add the black cherry juice after steeping all of the ingredients together. This tea is already naturally sweet, but if you want it sweeter, use organic honey as a sweetener.
7. Ginger Iced Tea
Everyone gets an upset stomach from time to time and having a soothing iced tea around is helpful. Use this recipe to tame your tummy:
- One-third cup of fresh ginger sliced
- One tablespoon of organic honey
- Four cups of water
- One and a half tablespoons of orange zest
Steep the ginger and the orange zest together. Add the honey before cooling the tea so that it dissolves well.
When you are finished making your herbal iced tea, you can add to the flavor and health benefits by adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the mix. For example, adding lemon to a lavender tea increases how refreshing it is and the lemon component gives you a gentle boost of energy to balance out the calming effects of the lavender.
Now go make yourself a refreshing iced tea to cool you down this summer.