Hibiscus Iced Tea (caffeine-free!)

I have always been happy drinking water all day. My husband, however, likes having iced beverages with many flavors, and isn't much of a water drinker. So these days I make shrubs, switchels, fruit syrups to use with carbonated water, and of course iced teas. I prefer mixing some herbal goodness with my drinks, so this recipe combines the great properties of turmeric, ginger, hibiscus, citrus and rooibos with some fresh local honey to make an extremely delicious tea. This has so much flavor and is so refreshing - and with no caffeine we can drink it in the evening as we sit on the deck admiring the sunset.
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Caffeine-Free Hibiscus Iced Tea

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{wholly rooted}

Iced tea is a summer staple and this recipe combines a wonderful rich colour of hibiscus with a healthy boost of turmeric and ginger. This is has a rich twangy flavor, perfect for hot summer days or steamy evenings. Green rooibos is a caffeine-free herb that has a mild green-tea like flavour and contains antioxidants as well as minerals and flavonoids. I like using green rooibos because caffeine-free means we can drink iced tea into the evening!

{ingredients}

• 1/2 cup dried hibiscus

• 1" of fresh ginger sliced

• 1" of fresh turmeric, grated (don't substitute powdered for fresh - if you don't have it, leave it out!)

• 2 Tbsp dried citrus peel

• 1-2 Tbsp green rooibos (or you can use green tea for a mildly caffeinated version)

• 1/2 cup honey (more or less to taste)

• Juice of 1 lime

Using a half gallon canning jar or heat safe pitcher add your hibiscus, ginger, turmeric, citrus peel, and rooibos.

Pour about 2 quarts of water from a hot kettle (hot not boiling) over your herbs in the jar/pitcher, and let steep about 15-20 minutes.

Strain with a fine strainer.

Add your honey and freshly squeezed lime juice while still warm, and stir.

Chill and serve over ice!

This recipe is made a bit concentrated so that when poured into a cup of ice it doesn’t taste watery. If you are drinking it un-iced right out of the fridge, you may want to dilute a bit, to taste!

Published May 6, 2016

I love drinks that are not too sweet and that are very refreshing. Today is going to get into the 80's and I have already been outside watering the garden, opening up the greenhouses and watering all of the seedlings. The first thing I wanted when I came inside was a cold glass of iced tea. Yum. This is one of my favorite cold drink recipes and the smell and taste of it just feel like summer to me! 


More about these ingredients:
Green Rooibos Tea Benefits and Use
Health Benefits of Hibiscus
The Amazing and Mighty Ginger
6 Health Benefits of Turmeric
8 Healthy Lime Facts

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