There are hundreds of inspiring blends of herbal tea these days to make iced tea options really exciting. We absolutely do NOT need to reach for the sugar packed, fake flavoured, single use plastic store options, when it’s a simple 3 minute prep for a litre or two for the next day.
I offered my husband a herbal tea last night out of habit, and when he said “Nah… too hot!” It occurred to me then that I thought the same. So, just as we did last summer, I brewed a super strong (3 heaped teaspoons) cup of tea for 10 minutes, then poured it over a handful of ice from the best ice cube tray in the world into a large one litre carafe. Added the volume again in plain, filtered water, a few mint leaves, and voila: A delicious, refreshing and therapeutic drink on a hot night.
I made another batch with a different couple of flavours of Rooibos and Red Ginseng before bed, and we all enjoyed it today, too.
You can leave it as simple as that, or add…
- a pinch of green stevia leaf powder (optional. I don’t feel I need it, but if you’re newly coming off sugary iced teas, then it’s a great baby step. The pure green powder is available from health shops online, and it’s the unprocessed natural stevia, rather than the weirdo chemically white looking ones.) – Best to add to boiling water so it dissolves
- a handful of mint leaves
- a few lime wheels or wedges to serve (lime gets bitter left too long, so if not serving on that day, add only to serve)
You could also use a little dash of maple, honey or rice malt syrup – at least you’ll have control of how much sweetness is going in, not a whopping 30-40% that goes into commercial iced teas along with all the fake weirdness.
Voila. Enjoy the endless combinations you can make. Add different herbs, lemon grass stalks, kaffir lime, ginger discs… The list goes on!
Why not make your iced tea therapeutic, instead of a sugar bomb? SO much cheaper too! You can buy a whole packet of loose leaf organic herbal tea to make 10 x 1 litre carafes of iced tea, for the same price as 3 processed sugar bomb iced teas in single use plastic bottles… No contest!
Let me know what you make and your favourite flavours and tag me on instagram @lowtoxlife if you pop a pic up.
Real Food. Happy Bodies. Happy Planet.
Super Simple Sugar Free Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 herbal tea bags your choice or 3 heaped teaspoons of loose herbs I LOVE licorice and fennel teas, but balanced that with a fruity tea for the husband, who’s not so keen. We were both happy!
- 1 cup boiling water
- Ice if you’re wanting to drink immediately
Instructions
- Steep the tea leaves / bags in the mug of boiling water for at least 5 minutes, with 20 mins being ideal, with the stevia if using.
- Then pour into a carafe and add water to top, any optionals, and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve immediately, add a handful of ice cubes before you pour the hot water into the carafe.
