Iced Lemon Tea

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A tall glass of iced lemon tea is so refreshing during warm weather that most people make it up by the pitcher to sip on all day.

Here are some green iced tea recipes for lemon with fruit, ginger, honey, or mint.

Tip: everyone’s taste for sweetness varies, especially with lemons. Some can drink the plain juice with water and only a dash of maple syrup like Beyonce’s detox drink. Others prefer more of a lemonade taste.

Overuse of sweeteners will always add calories so most of us should try to cut back. Please modify these recipes to your own taste, try to reduce the sweeteners, or choose non-caloric sweeteners like stevia.

Start by preparing 4 cups of your usual green tea, only use 50% more leaf or teabags. Loose leaf selections that do well as lemon ice tea include, Gunpowder, Mao Feng, or any of the senchas.

After steeping, remove the leaves, and let it cool.

Juice one lemon, separating out the seeds. You may wish to preserve the zest or grated rind, or peel it for a garnish before you squeeze the juice out. For that intense lemony flavor, add the grated zest to the hot tea, let steep, then strain it out when you remove the leaves.

Warm 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup honey until blended. Add the lemon juice.

Tip: You can vary the honey from 1 tablespoon to about ½ cup, and the lemons can be increased up to 4 or more. Most people have very individual taste responses to this tea. Work with the proportions until you are satisfied. If you prefer sugar, lo-cal sweeteners, or stevia, again use to taste.

Fill your pitcher with ice, add the juice to the cool tea, and fill the pitcher with the mixed juice-tea blend.

Enjoy your iced lemon tea all summer long!

Variations:

You can add fresh chopped mint or sprigs of mint to your iced lemon tea for an extra cooling effect.

Add slices of fresh ginger root or small chunks of crystallized ginger.

Combine with mango, peach, raspberry, or other fruit iced tea.

Tip: what about those prized green tea antioxidants? Preliminary research shows that citrus fruit will help stabilize them and increase their availability.