The hot days of summer necessitate cold, soothing beverages that everyone can enjoy. When company comes over, iced tea is my go-to drink. It’s easy to have simple, interesting, and quick drinks to serve your guests, that are not laced with the sugars, artificial flavors and what-have-you (that no one should be ingesting) that are in commercial iced teas.
I’ve always made iced tea to have on hand during the summer months. It’s so easy to use tea bags and just add some fresh herbs and a bit of honey. There you have a drink kids love! You can ditch the soda and other chemical laden drinks while making different tasting and interesting drinks that will quench anyone’s thirst!
This is an infusion, because you are extracting the flavors from the fresh herbs and tea leaves by allowing them to steep in the water. The resulting liquid is called an infusion.
Hibiscus flower tea has several cardiovascular health benefits. It has been used for centuries to lower and maintain blood pressure and has been found to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It has also been used in combination with lemon balm to quell restlessness and insomnia.
Lemon Infused Hibiscus Flower Tea
Ingredients
- 1 quart boiling water and one quart room temperature water
- 4 – 5 Hibiscus Flower tea bags or the equivalent in lose tea (Like this one)
- 3 – 4 stalks of fresh lemon balm or slices of fresh lemon (from one lemon)
- 1 -2 Tbsp raw honey (where to buy)
Equipment
- 3 -4 quart pot (where to buy)
- 2 quart pitcher (where to buy)
Instructions
- Bring the one quart of water to a boil
- Take off heat and add the fresh herbs and the tea bags
- Seep the tea bags for 4 – 5 minutes
- Remove the tea bags and leave the fresh herbs in until the tea cools
- When the tea is cooling, add the raw honey
- You want to add the raw honey when you can still dissolve it, but not over heat it
- When cool remove the herbs
- Add the quart of room temperature water and mix
- Pour into your pitcher and refrigerate
- Serve with slices of lemon on the glass over ice – so refreshing!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Seep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 quarts
