In the most traditional Spain, whenever you go visiting someone at home you will be asked if you’d like something to drink. Options can be: coffee or. What comes after or can always be a surprise, however coffee is more often than not option number one, and many times just the only option. However, as you all know I grew up in a very non traditional Spanish home. People would always be surprised when my mum (the brit) would offer them a drink: tea or. Which is how I became such a tea lover, in all its varieties and flavours. And when the weather turns too warm for a hot drink, I turn them into ice teas. The summer is the perfect moment to try either of these: raspberry-orange rooibos ice tea, green tea-green apple and mint ice tea, and orange-strawberry-sage ice tea. These can be enjoyed in so many ways, and are perfect for occasions such as kiddies birthdays or picnics. There’s also the added benefit that you know exactly what is going into your tea, especially in terms of sweetness – most of the mass produced ice teas have way too much sugar for my taste! -.
Raspberry and orange rooibos
- 2 handful raspberries
- 2-3 drops Young Living orange essential oil (see Bonus Tips below)
- a pinch of sugar
- orange slices (optional)
- 4 tsp rooibos tea leaves
- 1l water
- Boil the water.
- Add the raspberries and infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain the tea and allow to cool.
- Mix the essential oil with the sugar and blend well with the tea.
- Add orange slices and the sweetener of your choice – see Bonus Tips for more details -.
Green tea, green apple and mint
- 1 green apple, cored and sliced thinly
- 1-2 drops of Young Living peppermint essential oil (see Bonus Tips below)
- a pinch of sugar
- a few fresh mint leaves
- 4 tsp green tea leaves
- 1l water
- Boil the water.
- Allow the water to cool for 10 minutes, then infuse the green tea for no longer than 3 minutes and discard the tea leaves. The reason for this is that green tea cannot be infused in very hot water or for long periods of time, in both cases it would turn bitter and ruin the recipe.
- Add the remaining ingredients and infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Mix the essential oil with the sugar and blend well with the tea.
- Drain the tea and allow to cool. Add the sweetener of your choice – see Bonus Tips for more details -.
Orange strawberry sage
- 2-3 drops Young Living orange essential oil (see Bonus Tips below)
- a pinch of sugar
- orange slices (optional)
- a handful strawberries
- a handful fresh sage leaves
- Boil the water.
- Add the remaining ingredients and infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain the tea and allow to cool.
- Mix the essential oil with the sugar and blend well with the tea.
- Add the sweetener of your choice – see Bonus Tips for more details -.
BONUS TIPS:
- I only recommend Young Living essential oils for ingestion. Peppermint and Orange are included in the Starter Kit.
- All of these ice teas go very well with honey. Other alternatives to sugar (which of course you are most welcome to use) are agave syrup and stevia. And if you have any other recommendations, don’t be shy to leave me a comment down below!
- Fresh fruit will give the best flavour to these recipes, but frozen will also do the trick if you can’t find any (I used frozen raspberries). However, the same does not apply to the sage and mint, these must absolutely be fresh or the tea will not have any taste.
