We’ve been experiencing some unseasonably warm temperatures here in Syders. I’m talking 30°C-plus. That’s 86°F and more.
And, I’m a Kiwi. So that means I really feel it when it gets over that 30° mark. My body was not designed for heat!
I’ve been experimenting with iced tea as a thirst quencher.
I’ve never quite understood the British fascination with tea. Other than the 9 months I spent off the brew while in my AIP elimination phase, I’m a confirmed coffee drinker. Love the stuff. It’s my nectar!
“The effect of tea is cooling and as a beverage it is most suitable. It is especially fitting for persons of self-restraint* and inner worth.” ― Lu Yu, Classic of Tea: Origins and Rituals
But, somewhat contrarily, I do understand that Southern American predilection for iced tea. Sans sugar, of course.
Iced tea is wonderfully thirst quenching on a hot day.
A few years back, when my siblings and I happened to all be living in the UK at the same time, we had a family holiday cycling around Perugia. Side note: fantastic holiday destination! My sister-in-law introduced us to the magic that is iced tea and ever since then, I’ve been a convert.
Of course, the admittedly more-ish Lipton’s Peach Iced Tea that we downed by the bucket-load while holidaying in Italy, under the Perugian sun, doesn’t quite meet my expectations now. For starters, it has 30g of sugar in every bottle. Yes – you did read that correctly!
So today I bring you my Strawberry-Mint Iced Tea. With no added sugar. Which means its absolutely 100% AIP compliant, too.
- 1 punnet fresh strawberries (approximately 250g)
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 4 teabags of your choice (green, black or white teas all work)
- Wash and hull your strawberries. Pop four of the nicest aside to use as a garnish and chop the remaining strawberries roughly.
- Wash the mint and pick the leaves. Put about 10 leaves aside to use as a garnish.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the strawberries and tear the mint leaves before adding them, too.
- Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes. You want the water to turn red.
- Add your teabags and simmer for a further couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the tea to steep for a few minutes.
- Removed the mint leaves and tea bags. Using a sieve, strain the tea into a glass jar or jug. Mash the strawberries to ensure you extract all the juice.
- Cool to room temperature and then pop into the fridge.
- Serve with lots of ice and garnish with remaining strawberries and mint.
…and a gratuitous puppy pic because we have a house guest this week!
E N J O Y !
*perhaps I lack that self-restraint gene?
This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable
Sounds delicious!! We Brits don’t get the iced tea thing (haha) and I, too, am a voracious coffee drinker, but this recipe sounds worth a go, for sure!
Sarah -its amazingly refreshing on a hot day. Even LM loved it (sans sugar, too!)
The sunny weather must have blown over this way, I just got burnt in North America in October! That’ll teach me for thinking it was impossible. The tea looks great, I’m going to try my hand at it. I’ll let you know how I get on.
How’s Bella getting on with Fang? Those two are the best of frenemies
I never knew that a dog could express disdain until Bella met Fang!
I’m loving your newsletter, Joanna! Somehow my inbox experienced a tsunami so I didn’t see some of your most recent posts. So glad to find them offered all in one place. With some from the archive~. And you are officially my vicarious portal back to summer with the launch of this recipe (what beautiful photos!), as my corner of Canada begins to slide into winter…
Lovely blogging buddy!
Breaking the social rules about not discussion sex, religion or politics – How does one feel about the recent election result, I wonder?