A cornerstone recipe of summer is cool or iced herbal teas. This is simply a herbal tea that has been cooled down in the fridge and then had some ice added. Easy. This follows the same technique as brewing herbal infusions (I have a whole podcast episode dedicated to infusions and how to make them which Ill link here). Once you’ve made the herbal infusion and strained it you can simply chill the tea and then pour it over some ice. This can be a wonderfully refreshing pick me up during the day, giving your body hydration as well as healing herbs and also helping you to cool down.
Here are some of my recommended blends;
Hibiscus and schisandra
lemon balm and mint
lemon verbena and rose
chamomile and lavender
You could also try making a herbal iced latte, I have a beautiful recipe for a floral moon milk in my new book The Garden Apothecary that could easily be made into an iced version. Another favourite of mine which would work well as an iced latte would be tulsi, oat milk and honey. Yum!
Herb waters are even easier to make and a great way of encouraging everyone in your home to drink more water. While a herb water doesn’t give you enough of any particular herb to give you a physical or mental effect it does add flavour, beauty and it’s a great way of getting creative in the kitchen and using herbs and fruit which are seasonal and abundant. Even better it takes almost no time to put together.
To make a herb water you will need a jug, 2 L water, a small bundle of herbs, and about ½ cup of fresh fruit. I also like to use a crocheted jug cover to keep flies out after the herb water has been made.
Fill the jug with water and then add in the herbs. I like to roughly tear up the herbs, making sure they are still large enough to remove easily if needed. Then add fruit if your using it, making sure its thinly sliced. Add ice if desired. Once it’s made you can drink it throughout the day, but make sure you don’t store it longer than 24hours.
Here are a few flavour combinations you might enjoy:
Mint and strawberry
Calendula and rose petals
Rose Attar Pelargonium and watermelon
Lemon verbena and lime
Lavender and strawberry
Rosemary and lemon
Image by Kim Lightbody from my book The Garden Apothecary published by Hardie Grant. Click here to get your copy.