Recipe: Easy Iced Tea with Blue Tea Box

As the weather starts to improve as we move towards Summer it’s natural to start looking for refreshing drinks to keep you hydrated during the warm days. Last Summer I was all about cold brew coffee but this year I think my drink is going to be an iced tea which is super quick and easy to make and can be customised with all sorts of flavours and garnishes so you can come up with your own signature mix.

You might recall that I reviewed Blue Coffee Box not that long ago; a subscription service allowing you to experience quality coffee which is delivered through your letterbox. Well, I was also invited to review their Blue Tea Box product which was the perfect excuse to start testing out iced tea combinations using their gourmet loose leaf tea.

Sadly, Tea is often grown on huge plantations with unfair pay and bad conditions for the workers. Did you know that just seven tea companies buy 90% of all tea into Europe and North America? Blue Tea Box works with small merchants who try to give the worker and farmer a better deal. The tea is ethically sourced from smallholders, local cooperatives and smaller plantations where possible enabling the farmers to support their families, villages and communities and to invest in sustainable farming and a better future as well as produce a higher quality tea.

The Blue Tea Box gives you the chance to discover rare and single-origin loose-leaf teas from across the world. Just like the Coffee Box, you can choose your personal tea preference (black, green, fruit, herbal, or rooibos) and receive three 45g bags (54-108 cups) of ethically sourced, freshly hand-packed loose leaf tea delivered in a sleek, letterbox-friendly box.

My favourite is black tea and in my box, I received: Highlander’s Breakfast, Lumbini and Russian Earl. I have used the Highlander’s Breakfast tea for my iced tea recipe as its hints of citrus really work well as a cold drink.

A classic base for iced tea is regular tea bags but you can mix it up with whatever tea you like! Earl grey, lady grey, chamomile, green tea, lemon verbena and fruit teas also make a great option if you want to push the boat out! A good ratio to go by is 6 teaspoons (or tea bags) to 1.5 litres of boiling water.

Ingredients:

6 teaspoons of loose leaf tea (I used Highlander’s Breakfast from the Blue Tea Box).
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of runny honey (or simple sugar syrup)
Juice of 2 lemons plus 1 sliced lemon
1 sliced orange
A small bunch of mint
Ice (plain or make your own flavoured ice incorporating herbs/ flowers or fruit!)

Method:

Pour 1.5L of boiling water over the tea (or teabags).
Stir in the sugar and honey and leave to infuse for 10 mins.
Strain the tea and transfer it to the fridge to chill.
Once cool pour the tea into a large jug and stir in the lemon juice, lemon slices, mint and orange slices.
Fill the rest of the space in the jug and stir very well.
To serve, pour the iced tea into tall glasses with lots of ice.
Garnish with a twist of orange peel or slice of lemon.

For an adult version of this super quick and easy iced tea stir in a few shots of your prefered alcohol one the tea is cool; spiced rum, Pimm’s or gin all work great.

If you’re a newbie to the world of tea then check out Blue Box Tea’s Tea School where you can learn everything from how to brew a cup of tea to specialty teas and other fantastic recipes using tea as an ingredient. I recommend a visit!