Iced green tea with apple, lemon and ginger

I first encountered iced tea in America. It is blissful walking into an air conditioned diner when it is hot and humid outside. The coolness of the air is a relief to your skin and you realise how hot you are. On a humid day you need a drink that will quench your thirst. Fizzy pop is sweet and ends up making you more thirsty. Trying iced tea was a revelation. It came in a tall glass filled with ice cubes with a straw to drink it from. That first sip revealed a lemon tang and the drink was cold and refreshing. Iced tea is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot day

I recently got a Panasonic slow juicer which I have had great use out of. There is nothing nicer than freshly squeezed juice to start the day. I have been trying to create more inventive juices than just plain apple or orange. Iced green tea with apple, lemon and ginger is refreshing whilst being full of heath boosting ingredients. Make a big jug full and serve it with ice cubes in the garden for a real treat.

Iced green tea with apple, lemon and ginger

Recently I have replaced my morning cup of tea with green tea. Green tea is meant to be good for you as it is full of antioxidants which reduce the amount of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are known to contribute to the ageing process. Green tea is also meant to help your body burn fat by boosting the body’s metabolism. I wondered if I could take the beneficial properties of green tea and create a thirst quenching iced tea drink.

After cooling the green tea in the fridge I mixed it with the juice of three apples, 1 lemon and a teaspoon of ginger root. They do say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and apples are also high in antioxidants. Lemon juice is packed full of vitamin C and ginger acts to help sooth the digestive system. The resulting drink is tasty and refreshing, perfect for sipping on in the warmer weather.

Hot weather can leave you feeling dehydrated. The body needs water to function correctly. Water makes up more than half your body weight. All the cells of the body contain water. It is used to keep the blood flowing round the body, regulate your bodies temperature and help you fight off illness. Being dehydrated can leave you feeling tired and dizzy. Drinking a glass of this iced green tea with apple, lemon and ginger is a great way to prevent dehydration and keep you feeling your best.

Making Iced Tea

There are a few different ways to make iced tea. You can make the tea hot and chill it in the refrigerator or pour it into a glass over ice. Alternatively you can steep the tea, add tea bags or loose leaf tea to some cold water. This can be left to steep slowly in the fridge overnight or in the sun shine until the flavour is released. If you use the cold brew method then remember not to sweeten the tea with sugar, it does not dissolve in cold water. Syrup could be used instead.  For iced tea with apple, lemon and ginger I left the green tea to seep overnight to get the best flavour. The apple juice adds a lovely sweet flavour without additional sweeteners.

Iced tea with apple, lemon and ginger recipe

 Do you like iced tea? Let me know below.

For other refreshing summer drinks you might like to try sparkling matcha which uses matcha green tea.