I drive my family crazy by wanting to buy fruit only when it’s actually in season.
Mouthwatering tomatoes (yes, a fruit) can be had only when just off the vine—coupled with just plucked basil, mmmmm. I hated papaya until I had it fresh picked, sunshine warmed, with a complexity of flavor.
And your fruit teas should be the same: giving you the just-picked richness of pure fruit, with absolutely no artificial, odd, or cloying aftertaste. And this holds whether we are talking about aroma teas (fruit on a Camellia senensis base) or tisanes (no Camellia senensis).
As we head into warmer weather, fruity teas transition well, yielding incredible iced teas. This is also the time to pull out that SodaStream you got for Christmas and haven’t used—carbonated iced fruit teas are unbelievably delicious!! Like a fruity soft drink that is loaded with antioxidants but no calories to speak of (and also great for kids).
- Orange tea, generously sprinkled with blossoms and pieces of orange
A tip: when you make fruit teas/tisanes, you can’t overbrew them! Use boiling water and allow them to brew for at least 5 to 10 minutes—or let them sit for hours.
High-quality fruit tisanes will be made of just that: FRUIT! During brewing, the fruit pieces will plump up into fruit morsels (and I add them to yogurt or oatmeal after making my tea).
Blood orange fruit tea is by far my favorite fruit tisane, especially iced. The color of the liquor is lovely and its intense citrus flavor is amazing!
This afternoon may just be the time to kick back, iced fruit tea in hand. . . .
Teas pictured above are available at TeaHaus. In fact, the Strawberry Mint Lavender is available only at TeaHaus! And even though the combination may sound unlikely, it truly is fantastic!
For recipes on making carbonated iced tea, click here.
It's More Than Tea 