Ginger lemon iced tea

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Tuesday, 23 June 2009.
Tagged: anti-aging, antioxidants, dairy-free, drinks, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, healthy recipe, healthy recipes, tea

Ready In: 5 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Serves: 6 cups

This recipe makes a refreshing summer drink without the high sugar content of fizzy drink or juice. It's fat-free and also gives you the benefits of tea's polyphenol antioxidants which can neutralize harmful free radicals, keep your skin looking younger and dampen the ageing effects of the sun on the skin.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons black leaf tea
2cm piece of fresh ginger root, sliced thinly
about 2 cups (500 mL) freshly boiled water
1/4 cup honey or sugar
juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons lemon juice)
ice cubes
FOR GARNISH
3 or 4 lemon slices
fresh mint sprigs or leaves

Directions

1. Make up tea as usual and pour into a heatproof tall jug with the ginger to measure 2 cups (500 mL).

2. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes until quite strong.

3. Remove ginger.

4. Add honey or sugar and stir well to dissolve. Leave to cool.

5. Pour into a tall jug and add lemon juice .

6. Fill with ice or cold water to make around 6 cups (1.5 litres).

7. To serve, pour into glasses and garnish with lemon slices and mint.

Variations

No tea leaves? You can use 4 tea bags to make up this iced tea.
If you prefer a weaker tea, add extra cold water later.
You can substitute sweetener for half or all of the honey. Work out how much to add from the directions on the pack.
Vary the flavour by using peach, apple or other fruit teas. Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe make an interesting change.