These 10 Refreshing Iced Teas Will Transport You To Your Grandma’s Porch
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Half Baked Harvest
We all have foods that are tied to certain memories. Certain foods that take us back to simpler times when all we had to worry about was doing our homework or completing a summer reading list. Maybe it’s a recipe that makes you proud of your family, where you come from and your heritage, like Italian grandma tomato sauce. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, it can be something as simple as a thirst-quenching iced tea recipe that’s been passed through the family. These refreshing iced teas will transport you to your grandma’s porch.
1. Earl Grey And Orange Iced Tea
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Get the recipe at Food52. Earl Grey tea tastes just as good iced as it does hot. This recipe calls for steeping the tea for a minute before discarding the bags. Add in the ice, orange juice and mint leaves. You can add in sugar, honey or simple syrup at this point and then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
2. Hibiscus, Lemongrass, Basil And Honey Iced Tea
Half Baked Harvest
Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea made from deep magenta-colored flowers with a tart, cranberry-like taste. This recipe by Half Baked Harvest mixes hibiscus flowers with basil leaves, lime juice, honey, lemongrass stalk and water. Lay out on your blanket with a refreshing glass of this iced tea and you’ll be in hibiscus heaven.
3. Rosemary Lemonade With Cherries
Not Without Salt
In our opinion, savory iced teas are underappreciated. This recipe by Not Without Salt gives us another excuse to go to the farmer’s market. This rosemary lemonade calls for honey, sugar, water, rosemary, fresh lemon juice and cherries.
4. Lavender Lemonade
Lavender is used for relieving stress, improving sleep and alleviating headaches. It’s often used in the form an essential oil, but it works just as well in the food world. Steep culinary lavender in boiling water with honey and then strain it. Stir in lemon juice and more water until it reaches the perfect level of concentration. You really can’t get any more relaxing than this.
5. Moroccan Mint Iced Tea
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Moroccan mint tea, or Maghrebi mint tea, is a green tea prepared with spearmint leaves and sugar or simple syrup. The tea has a strong presence throughout North Africa, parts of France and the Arab world, but it’s most closely tied to Morocco. To make the iced tea, steep green tea bags, sugar, lemon wedges, mint sprigs and spearmint leaves in a teapot. Cool it down and then pour it over ice-filled glasses. Garnish the drink with more mint and lemon.
6. Classic Sweet Tea
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Sweet tea is a classic Southern-style iced tea that’s made by brewing sugar and bags of black tea. It can also be made with simple syrup and is sometimes tempered with baking soda to take down the acidity of the drink. You’ll want to chill it all the way through before serving and then finish it off with sprigs of mint and lemon wedges. You can always spike it with some bourbon if you’d rather have a cocktail.
7. Ginger, Lemon And Honey Iced Tea
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Mix together fresh chopped ginger with water and lemon zest and bring it to a boil. Let it steep, strain it, add honey and lemon juice and let it cool. Pour it over ice when you’re ready.
8. Watermelon And Mint Iced Tea
Get yourself a whole seedless watermelon and chop it all up. Purée the watermelon in a blender until it’s smooth and then strain it into a pitcher and refrigerate until it’s cold. Steep black tea bags and honey in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. In order to get the most out of your mint leaves, just smack the whole bundle against your other hand to release the natural oils. Add the herbs into the watermelon iced tea, mix it up and let it cool again until you’re ready to go.
9. Thai Iced Tea
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While regular iced tea is usually light and refreshing, Thai iced tea is a little more indulgent, concentrated and flavorful with a spiced aroma. There’s a strong presence of Thai iced tea in Southeast Asia, but it’s also served at most Thai restaurants around the world. Boil water and then steep bags of black tea or red Thai tea, star anise and cloves in the water. Strain out the spices, add sugar until it’s dissolved and let the tea cool. Pour the tea halfway into the glass over ice cubes and then add a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk. Mix it all up and drink the iced tea ASAP.
10. Cucumber, Mint Iced Green Tea
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Boil water and then cover and steep green tea bags, mint leaves and cucumber slices for about 20 minutes. Let it cool and then strain. In another pot mix a little bit of warm water with honey until it’s fully dissolved. Fill your glasses with ice, pour in the cooled tea and honey mixture to each one and garnish with mint and cucumber slices.
For all of these recipes, you can substitute with natural sugars like coconut, maple syrup or honey. Give yourself at least an hour for steeping the tea and cooling it down if you’re planning on making any of these for a party.
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