Nothing beats a hearty glass of iced tea for the lazy, hazy days of summer, and no one knows this better than Ina Garten.
In her latest Instagram post, the Barefoot Contessa shared a photo of what appears to be fruit punch — but the caption reveals that it’s actually herbal iced tea she served to guests “after a very hot garden tour.”
At the end of the post, Garten posed a question to her followers: “Do you know what my secret ingredient is for sweetening things?”
Of course, that made me want to look up a recipe, and I found one on Garten’s website.It consists of three components:
- Celestial Seasonings Lemon Ginger Tea Bags, 4
- Celestial Seasonings Red Ginger Tea Bags, 4
- 4 cups 100% apple juice
Yes, the secret sweetener is apple juice, which adds sweetness and apple flavor to this cold, refreshing drink.
The recipe is simple: Steep all 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes, discard the tea bags. Then mix the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice. This recipe serves 6-8 people.
If you’ve never tried lemon ginger or red ginger tea, they’re both complex flavors dominated by fruity hibiscus. Hibiscus tea is packed with health benefits, including antioxidants that help lower inflammation, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar, as well as supporting the immune system.
Each tea is infused with other herbal and woody flavours: Red Ginger, for example, contains hibiscus as well as rosehips, lemongrass, peppermint, orange peel, licorice, lemon verbena and wild cherry bark, while Lemon Ginger contains orange peel, roasted chicory, rosehips, lemongrass and lemon peel.
Each of these plant-based ingredients brings its own health benefits to your pot. Peppermint, for example, is packed with calming menthol that helps soothe an upset stomach and calm the mood. And like the pulp and juice of these citrus fruits, the peels of oranges and lemons contain nutrients and antioxidants. The peels also contain the fruit’s essential oils (ironically, the combination of peppermint and sweet orange essential oils is one of my favorite diffuse oils).
These teas are herbal and caffeine-free, so you can drink them without getting that caffeine jitter.
That said, this iced tea recipe isn’t one you’ll want to drink all day. While apple juice adds sweetness and nutrients without added sugar (one glass of 100% apple juice provides over 100% of your daily vitamin C intake), it also adds calories. That same glass of juice contains 114 calories, which can add up quickly if you drink it throughout the day (we want to eat and drink a variety of foods!). Apple juice also lacks the fiber found in an apple.
Overall, this tangy, refreshing drink is a healthy way to cool down and rehydrate during the hot summer months. Enjoy in moderation. Go ahead, give me some ice.
