Iced Orange Vanilla Infused Hibiscus Green Tea
Welcome to sunshine, warmer weather, and the longing for something super refreshing to cool you off. Almost, anyway. Have other areas besides North Carolina been experiencing weather that’s been unseasonably cold?
It was warm last week, I swear! And it’s sunny outside. It looks warm!
I really shouldn’t be complaining because I know that the sweltering heat is just around the corner. This drink is really going to come in handy.
I’ll be the first to confess that I am not a huge fan of green tea. Regular green tea, anyway. It doesn’t have a nice flavor to me. Have you ever had green tea Mochi or green tea ice cream? Yeah… It’s kind of like eating a bar of soap, a-la Ralphie in A Christmas Story. And then going blind from soap poisoning.
Luckily for me, there are a lot green teas out there that are infused with other tasty plants, herbs, and spices, so I can still get the benefits of drinking green tea without feeling like I have a mouth full of soap. This particular tea is Trader Joe’s Crimson Herbal Tea. It is a Hibiscus Green Tea, and it is quite tasty.
For extra spring and summertime refreshment, though, I really like to infuse things like tea and water with fresh fruits and spices. So, what I did here, is I made this tea iced, cut up a fresh tangerine, put in some Vanilla Bean pods, let it infuse for a couple of hours, and I wound up with one of the easiest, healthiest, and most refreshing ways to drink iced green tea that actually tastes good!
Infused teas are such a great way to use up your discarded Vanilla Bean pods, too. Once those suckers have had the beans scraped out, there’s not a whole lot you can do with them. A lot of people like to put them in a container with sugar, so they end up with vanilla scented sugar. So here’s another use for them, to infuse your iced tea 🙂
This is absolutely perfect for parties or an afternoon by the pool.
Iced Orange Vanilla Infused Hibiscus Green Tea
- 4 bags Trader Joe’s Crimson Herbal Tea (or another Hibiscus Green Tea blend)
- 4 Cups Boiling Water
- 4 Cups Cold Water
- 1 Tangerine, sliced
- 1 Discarded Vanilla Bean Pod, cut into 4 pieces
Bring 4 Cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool for a minute, and then pour into a teapot with 4 bags of Crimson Tea and Vanilla Bean Pods.
Allow tea to steep for at least 5 minutes. Discard tea bags (keep Vanilla)
Pour over ice in a plastic container, allowing it to cool before moving it to any glass jug. Pour into a large jug or pitcher, mix with 4 cups of water, add orange slices. Set in fridge until ready to serve (the longer you let the oranges sit in there, the more they will infuse the drink with orange goodness).
Serve over ice and enjoy!
- 4 bags Trader Joe's Crimson Herbal Tea (or another Hibiscus Green Tea blend)
- 4 Cups Boiling Water
- 4 Cups Cold Water
- 1 Tangerine, sliced
- 1 Discarded Vanilla Bean Pod, cut into 4 pieces
- Bring 4 Cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool for a minute, and then pour into a teapot with 4 bags of Crimson Tea and Vanilla Bean Pods.
- Allow tea to steep for at least 5 minutes. Discard tea bags (keep Vanilla)
- Pour over ice in a plastic container, allowing it to cool before moving it to any glass jug. Pour into a large jug or pitcher, mix with 4 cups of water, add orange slices. Set in fridge until ready to serve (the longer you let the oranges sit in there, the more they will infuse the drink with orange goodness).
- Serve over ice and enjoy!
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