Teas and herbal teas have infinite possibilities not only in the way we combine plants, but also in the way they are prepared and how they can be served.
During the summer, cold herbal teas are excellent healthy and flavorful alternatives to soft drinks and processed drinks.
Ingesting these preparations has some benefits for our body. In addition to promoting fluid intake and hydration during hotter weather, they are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Depending on the combination we use, they can also help with digestion and stress, with the great advantage of the enormous versatility of flavors adjustable to all tastes.
There are two methods we recommend when preparing Cold Herbal Teas Recipes:
1. Cold Infusion
This technique allows you to extract the flavor and benefits of herbs and fruits gently and slowly. The most popular ingredients generally include mint, lemon, hibiscus, berries and orange.
How to prepare:
Select dehydrated or fresh plants and fruit. Use about 1-2 tablespoons for 1 liter of water. Place the chosen ingredients in a jug of cold water. Reserve in the refrigerator for a period of 6 to 12 hours, the flavor and remaining properties will be slowly extracted. Strain and serve
2. Hot Infusion and Cooling
This is the method we use most due to the shorter preparation time (10-15 min). How to prepare: Prepare the herbal tea in the traditional way, adding hot water (90ºC) to the chosen ingredients and leaving it to infuse for 5-10 minutes. Then strain and add ice or refrigerate. You can serve it by adding lemon slices, fruit and you can sweeten it with honey or agave syrup.
Our herbal infusions that we recommend using as a cold herbal tea are the Infusion of Hibiscus, Blueberries, rose petals and Horsetail, Infusion of Rosemary, lime verbena and Tangerine, lime verbena and rosemary organic infusion.
Preparing delicious cold herbal teas is a simple and fun process that is within everyone's reach!
Bibliography
Chevallier, A. (2016). Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments. London: DK Publishing.
Green, T., & Murphy, C. (2010). "Antioxidant Activity of Tea and Herbal Infusions: A Study on Catechin Extraction". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(18), 10234-10239.
Herbst, R. W. (2007). The Ultimate Tea Lover's Treasury. New York: Berkley Books.