My strawberry lemon and mint iced tea has just become my and Mr Chipconnoisseur’s new summer drink favourite. Why? Because it is tasty, refreshing, additive free and an all natural alternative to soft drinks with no added sugar. While he can’t get enough of the drink, I love munching on those tea-soaked minty strawberries!
Many of the commercially made iced teas contain various additives, artificial flavours, colourings and loads of added sugar… They may seem like they are better for you than soft drinks, but they can be just as unhealthy as their fizzy counterparts, so why not make some of your own? It is so easy!
An added advantage of my iced tea coolers is that when it comes to flavour you can experiment a little:
- If you like it fizzy add some sparkling mineral water to the mix (lemonade would be good too, but watch out for added sugar).
- Try adding lychee tea and lychees for a slightly sweeter version instead of rosehip and hibiscus tea, which is slightly more sour.
- Consider adding passionfruit, pineapple or other berries.
- Or, add a splash of limoncello, cointreau, malibu or chambord to make a delicious spiked version for the grown ups – just don’t forget to mark the pitcher accordingly if there are kids around.
The pitchers can be topped up with chilled tea a few times, so if you are entertaining a large crowd make sure you have pre-made some extra tea and left it to chill in the fridge or freezer for top ups.
Makes 1 litre
Summer fruits iced tea
- 750ml boiling water
- 1 tea bag each of English breakfast, Strawberry and Rosehip and hibiscus
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon
- 4 strawberries
- 10-15 mint leaves
- 5-10 ice cubes
It is best to prepare the tea in advance. Do so by placing all three tea bags and honey in a large pot or bowl and pouring over hot (not boiling) water. Allow to chill at room temperature then in the fridge.
Wash lemon, strawberries and mint. Cut lemons into thick slices then again in halves. Hull and quarter strawberries. Place all into a 1.5 litre pitcher or punch bowl and mash a little with a wooden spoon to release some of the flavours. Pour in tea and add icecubes.
For an alcoholic version: add 90ml of your choice of limoncello – lemon, cointreau – orange, malibu – coconut or chambord – wild raspberry.
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6 comments
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How do I make regular ice tea with the two sides. I use a Mr. Coffee, but the taste is not there as you get in a restaurant. What should I do?
Thank you for you help a head of time.
do
Hi Don, you could squeeze the lemon juice, blend mint and a couple of strawberries then squeeze the juice out of them and combine with regular tea. And mash up the fruits more for extra flavour. By the way regular tea with lemon and honey makes a great iced tea in itself!!! Does that help? Martyna
Drinking more tea will inevitably keep you more hydrated when the temperatures rise and your body needs it most! Debunking the myth that caffeinated teas will actually dehydrate you, studies reveal that even in a tea that is high in caffeine, there is still an overall net gain of fluid.