It is as simple as brewing a pot of tea and the truly nice aspect of making your own is that you can flavour it specifically to your taste preferences. This recipe for iced green tea is ideal for those who are trying to add more antioxidants into their diet. All those wonderful antioxidants that green tea is so famous for are in glorious abundance in the cold beverage just as they are in the hot.
If you want the health benefits of green tea in the summer months but can't take the heat then try a glass of iced tea instead. You can have all the health benefits of green tea but in a refreshingly cool drink. It really is so very easy and economical to make your own. I am here to tell you that it is a wonderfully quick and simple recipe that even a fumble fingers like me can master. As the hot summer sun creeps in put your kettle on to boil and brew yourself up a batch. It is a delightfully refreshing summer time drink.
You can use this iced tea recipe with any type of tea but because the green variety is antioxidant rich and such a healthy beverage I tend to recommend it above other varieties. Green and white tea are my favourites and the ones that I tend to serve in my home. The two have about the same health benefits while the white is the milder of the two.
What sends some people running away from green tea is its somewhat grassy bitter taste. The flavour turns quite a few people away from this beverage. Some like its distinct flavour but if you are just not one of those people there are ways to improve the taste. This beverage is far too healthy to just push to the side when there are so many easy ways to adapt it to suit your palate.
One of the largest causes for the bitterness is the way in which people brew the fragile leaves. It is very important to never pour boiling water directly over green tea. These leaves are delicate and like to be pampered. Cool the boiled water ever so slightly and then pour the water into the pot. A minute or two wait is quite sufficient to help to keep the bitterness at bay. If you really do not enjoy the taste of green tea then adding an additional bag of black or herbal tea into the pot will provide a different flavour to overlap the taste of the green. Adding a little additional flavour can help to give this tea a milder more enjoyable taste. You can also zest it up by adding in your choice of spice or fruit.
2 - 4 green tea bags.
1) Let your boiled water cool slightly, place your leaf or bags into the teapot, then pour your hot water into your teapot.
2) Allow your tea to steep for about a 1/2 hour. Stir the pot a couple times to insure that the leaf is fully infusing from the bag into the water.
3) Pour your tea into a quart container, add sugar or honey to taste, then add water to fill the container. Shake or stir to dissolve sugar. If you want added flavour a traditional black or herbal tea bag in your pot will do the trick.
4) Refrigerate to cool. Serve your now cold tea over ice. As with any standard iced beverage you can add in fruit, honey, or spices for added flavour.
For an even healthier twist you can also add in a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, or add a sprinkle of ginger in. There are many ways to add a savoury hint to your tea. Try a stick of cinnamon or a hint of honey. Hot or cold there are many ways to spice up the flavour of this beverage to suit your taste. In the summer months iced tea is the perfect beverage to serve visiting friends and relatives.
There is a wealth of antioxidant rich polyphenols in its leaves. Green, black, white, and oolong tea are all made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. What gives the green variety its rich antioxidant qualities is the method by which the leaf is processed. Green tea is steamed rather than fermented like the standard black tea and this allows it to maintain a higher percentage of its polyphenols. These are super antioxidants and the green and white teas can contain up to five times more polyphenols than black.
It all adds up to this tea being a super food when it comes to helping us stay a wee bit healthier. The antioxidants in this beverage can help to prevent some forms of cancer and may even help to reduce the onset of age related illness and aging on the body. Take a few minutes to enjoy a cup (or a glass) of tea today.
Related Articles by Lorelei Cohen
What sends some people running away from green tea is its somewhat grassy bitter taste. The flavour turns quite a few people away from this beverage. Some like its distinct flavour but if you are just not one of those people there are ways to improve the taste. This beverage is far too healthy to just push to the side when there are so many easy ways to adapt it to suit your palate.
One of the largest causes for the bitterness is the way in which people brew the fragile leaves. It is very important to never pour boiling water directly over green tea. These leaves are delicate and like to be pampered. Cool the boiled water ever so slightly and then pour the water into the pot. A minute or two wait is quite sufficient to help to keep the bitterness at bay. If you really do not enjoy the taste of green tea then adding an additional bag of black or herbal tea into the pot will provide a different flavour to overlap the taste of the green. Adding a little additional flavour can help to give this tea a milder more enjoyable taste. You can also zest it up by adding in your choice of spice or fruit.
The Recipe is Simple: Brewed Tea + Extra Water + Sugar + Lemon + Ice
Ingredients
2 - 4 green tea bags.
2 teaspoons sugar or 2 teaspoons of honey (This can be adapted to your taste preferences).
Hot water to fill your teapot (a minimum of 4 cups) I use a teapot that holds 6 cups.
Then flavour it up by adding in fruit or spice
There is a secret to brewing this type of tea correctly though and that is to never pour boiling water directly over your leaf. Allow the liquid to cool slightly before pouring it into the teapot. This is a tea that can be quite bitter so a gentle steeping is the key to having great tasting green tea. Then flavour it up by adding in fruit or spice
2) Allow your tea to steep for about a 1/2 hour. Stir the pot a couple times to insure that the leaf is fully infusing from the bag into the water.
3) Pour your tea into a quart container, add sugar or honey to taste, then add water to fill the container. Shake or stir to dissolve sugar. If you want added flavour a traditional black or herbal tea bag in your pot will do the trick.
4) Refrigerate to cool. Serve your now cold tea over ice. As with any standard iced beverage you can add in fruit, honey, or spices for added flavour.
For an even healthier twist you can also add in a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, or add a sprinkle of ginger in. There are many ways to add a savoury hint to your tea. Try a stick of cinnamon or a hint of honey. Hot or cold there are many ways to spice up the flavour of this beverage to suit your taste. In the summer months iced tea is the perfect beverage to serve visiting friends and relatives.There is a wealth of antioxidant rich polyphenols in its leaves. Green, black, white, and oolong tea are all made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. What gives the green variety its rich antioxidant qualities is the method by which the leaf is processed. Green tea is steamed rather than fermented like the standard black tea and this allows it to maintain a higher percentage of its polyphenols. These are super antioxidants and the green and white teas can contain up to five times more polyphenols than black.
It all adds up to this tea being a super food when it comes to helping us stay a wee bit healthier. The antioxidants in this beverage can help to prevent some forms of cancer and may even help to reduce the onset of age related illness and aging on the body. Take a few minutes to enjoy a cup (or a glass) of tea today.
Related Articles by Lorelei Cohen