Hello hello and welcome to Episode 31 of Life On the Brink!
Today we've got a very sweet, refreshing episode all about......TEA! It's no secret that I love a cup of tea, as I'm sure you do, and what's better in the summer than a gorgeous iced tea?
As delightful as they might be, though, it can get kind of expensive at our favorite cafes and coffee shops.
Well, today we're talking all about iced teas, lattes, syrups, and lots of creative ideas to make your own at home! This way you can be confident in the ingredients, you can control the sweetness level, and even save a couple bucks in the process. Sound like fun?
Trust me, it's so simple and just as delicious.
ICED TEAS
If you can make a cup of tea, you can enjoy refreshing iced teas all summer. This is the easiest way to make it, since I haven’t gotten into cold brewing yet. We’re keeping it simple and quick and delicious.
The only special piece of equipment I’d recommend is a resealable glass carafe or water bottle. I got mine at Home Goods, but I’ve linked a few here:
Then here’s what you do:
-add enough water to fill your carafe into a pot and bring to a boil
-remove from heat and add your tea of choice (and add a little extra)
-let tea steep as the water comes to room temperature (remove the tea if it tends to go bitter)
-add syrup or sweetener and transfer to carafe
-chill in the fridge
-enjoy over ice!
Some teas to try iced:
-Trader Joe’s Watermelon Mint Tea
-fruity herbal teas (hibiscus, berry, peach)
-green tea
-jasmine
ICED TEA LATTES
If you haven’t listened to Episode 19 on Tea Lattes, I highly recommend giving that one a listen. It talks about the basics of tea lattes and how to make hot, comforting drinks at home. Today, though, we’re talking about their iced counterparts, and guess what? It’s even easier!
Just follow the steps for iced tea above, and when it’s time to serve, just add milk. I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but feel free to experiment with coconut, oat, or whatever milk you prefer.
-Iced London Fog? Just combine chilled Earl Grey tea with milk (and maybe a dash of cream) and you’re in business!
-For an Iced chai, just follow the steps for Masala Chai from Episode 19 and chill. You’ll have rich, creamy chai waiting in the fridge every morning. How luxurious is that?
-When it comes to matcha, it still takes a little bit of preparation to blend the matcha tea with water, but it’s still so simple. You can follow this simple recipe (recommended measurements from Food and Wine)
Matcha Latte
1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder
1 tablespoon hot water
2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
3/4 cup milk of choice
Directions:
Sift the matcha powder into a cup. Add the water and stir until no lumps remain. Stir in the honey. Add to a glass along with a few ice cubes. Top with milk and stir.
And just like that, you can have cafe-worthy iced tea lattes, but you can know exactly what’s in them, and you also get to control the sweetness level. Speaking of which, there are lots of ways to add fun flavors with homemade syrups.
SYRUPS AND SWEETENERS
I always love going to a coffee shop that has house-made syrups. Chances are, they have unique flavor combinations on their menu, since syrups are the easiest way to add a little something extra to your latte. As it turns out, making your own simple syrups is indeed simple; I’ve included the breakdown from The Kitchn here:
Ingredients
1 cup water, preferably filtered
1 cup granulated sugar (note: I’ve also done this with honey and it’s just as good)
Heat the water: Heat the water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, but do not bring to a boil.
Stir in the sugar: Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved.
Cool and store: Let the syrup cool to room temperature before using or storing. Using a funnel if needed, transfer the simple syrup into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Here’s where the fun comes in: you can add whatever you want when you combine the sugar and water. It infuses the syrup and adds that little extra note to your latte.
Some add-ins to try:
-lavender buds
-culinary rose petals
-lemon or orange peel
-mint or basil leaves
-vanilla beans
-brown sugar instead of white
Of course, you can find lots of syrups at specialty grocery stores, and you can experiment with them in your teas as well.
TEA REFRESHERS
These days, Starbucks has lots of crazy drinks that, if you really look at it, doesn’t contain a lot of tea. For all you lovely tea lovers, now is the time to let your imagination lead the way! It’s totally possible to make unique, tasty tea refreshers for a fraction of the price.
All you might need is:
-iced tea
-simple syrups
-fruit juices
-fresh or frozen fruits
Also, a cocktail shaker is really nice for blending these up. It adds a little layer of foam on top and combines everything super well.
Here’s a few examples to try:
-A simple Arnold Palmer: iced black tea with lemonade. Feel free to add fruit juice (maybe peach or mango) or simply to add lemon juice and added sweetener to your tea.
-Freeze cubes of watermelon, then blend with chilled green tea and a squeeze of lemon. It becomes this wonderful, icy texture and is SO refreshing
-this video by Honeysuckle is awesome. She breaks down the 4 most popular drinks and makes them at home
EXTRAS
-I love adding boba to tea lattes (also called Milk Teas). You can find tapioca pearls in most international markets, but you can also follow this link.
-I use these bamboo straws by Jungle Straws, and their different sizes are great for whatever drink you’re making….
-...Unless it’s bubble tea. In which case, I recommend these metal straws by Harney and Sons. They’re actually the perfect size.
And there you go! I hope you've found these recipes and ideas inspiring. If you try any of them, or have other tea-related ideas, feel free to comment below. Cheers, friends!
This Week’s Little Joy: This week I harvested the first tomatoes and pepperoncini from my outdoor garden, and I'm so thrilled! Being able to pick my own veggies and cook with them right away is such a dream, and even though it's in baby steps, I am enjoying each step of this summer garden season.
What I’m Listening To: The album “Grace” by Nigerian Disc Jockey Spinall. It’s a little different from what I usually listen to, but the West-African rhythms are all the summer vibes I need. It’s relaxing, yet groovy and danceable. The perfect summer accompaniment to your iced tea.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode. If you haven't given a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, I'd so appreciate it, or better yet, share this podcast with a friend or fellow tea-lover.
Until next time, you have a lovely week!