Last year we went on a hiking trip to Slovenia around Logarska Dolina and Velika Planina and we stayed in a small town called Mozirje where we had an amazing hibiscus iced tea for lunch at a local restaurant. Ever since I had this tea on my mind and wanted to make it at home. But then autumn came, followed by winter, and so on. You get where this is going.
So long story short it is the summer of 2020 and still no hibiscus iced tea. Being the second half of August with scorching heat I am left with no excuses but to finally make this refreshing and healthy drink.
about hibiscus …
For the nice and round flavor, it is essential that you use some good quality hibiscus tea, or, if you are lucky and have a hibiscus tree in your garden, pick some fresh hibiscus flowers. Sadly, I don’t have a hibiscus tree in my garden, so I buy whole dried flowers from the local spice store.
If you purchase larger quantities of whole dried hibiscus flowers make sure to keep them in airtight glass jars in a cool, away from the heat source, dark space.
Hibiscus tea has a slight tart note to it, something similar to cranberry taste but not as strong. This is why I like to sweeten it with honey since honey has that all-encompassing full round taste.
how to …
Making this refreshing hibiscus lime iced tea is really quite simple. The steps involve brewing the tea, waiting for it to infuse the water, adding some sweetener, and waiting to cool down. So mostly it’s just waiting 😉.
To sweeten the tea I like to use honey and agave syrup. If you use honey make sure to use honey which is not too strong in flavor, like, acacia or field honey. Also, a good combination is citrus (orange, clementine, or lemon) honey but this might be way too expensive for a simple summer ice tea.
The best time to make the tea is either early in the morning so that it cools down by lunchtime or later in the afternoon so that it is ready for the next day.
Oh and don’t forget to make some (lots of) ice!
Enjoy!
Refreshing hibiscus lime iced tea
INGREDIENTS
Iced tea
- 2 L water (filtered)
- 15 g hibiscus flowers (dried)
- 120 g honey (field flowers or acacia)
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 lime (juice)
Garnish
- 1 bunch peppermint
- 1 lime (sliced, circles)
INSTRUCTIONS
The tea
- Add filtered water into a cooking pot and add the hibiscus flowers.
- Turn the heat on medium to high and bring to a slow simmer.
- Slowly simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the stove and let the tea infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain the hibiscus flowers and pour the tea into a large pitcher.
- Leave it on the counter to cool down for approximately 30 minutes.
- When the temperature of the tea drops so that it doesn't burn your lips if you would drink it, it is time to add the honey and agave syrup. Stir to incorporate the sweeteners.
- Place in the fridge and let it cool completely for approximately 1 hour.
- Once cooled add the juice of one lime.
Assemble
- In a large glass add ice cubes to fill at least half the glass.
- Add a couple of lime slices.
- Use the dull part of the knife squish the peppermint stalks and leaves to release the flavor. Add to the glass.
- Pour the cooled tea and serve.
NOTES
- The iced tea is not overly sweet, but rather on a zesty refreshing note. If you like your iced tea on a sweeter note add more honey or agave syrup. Add this at the same stage as the initial sweeteners are added.
- Agave syrup can be added when the tea is cold as it will dissolve without a problem. Honey, on the other hand, will not dissolve easily in cold liquid so it is best to add it while still slightly warm.
- If you substitute sweeteners note that they all don’t have the same level of sweetness so please adjust accordingly.
