Another summer has come and gone. Before the leaves start to fall, I’d like to pay tribute to the summer months with a recipe for lemon iced tea, the perfect drink for a sunny day. There have been several variations of the recipe, but my favorite by far is from the cookbook Citrus; Recipes That Celebrate the Sour and the Sweet by Catherine Phipps. I stumbled upon the book while in the cooking section of the Cambridge Public Library, and I would highly recommend it to all lemon-lovers. Phipps’ lemon iced tea recipe is simple as well as delicious.
INGREDIENTS (makes 6 drinks)
2 black tea bags
2 tsp. lemon zest
4 cups boiled water
1-2 tbsp crushed ginger or mint
Juice from 1 lemon
Sugar or honey to taste
2 cups of ice
10-15 mint leaves for garnishing
10-12 lemon slices
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put the tea bags and lemon zest into a bowl of the boiled water. Add ginger or mint for flavoring.
- Let the mixture infuse for 2-3 minutes. Strain if needed, then pour in the lemon juice. Add sugar or honey to taste.
- Once completely cool, serve in drinking glasses with ice, extra mint leaves, and lemon slices. Leftover tea can be stored in a refrigerated container.
- Enjoy!
