Summertime Iced Tea with a Non-lemony Twist!

Ahhhh, iced tea, the refreshing healthy summer drink. At the beginning of summer it tastes so delicious, but after a while, your taste buds start to crave something different. Here are a few great twists on the traditional ice tea recipe.

Sun Tea
Sun tea vs. iced tea made in a machine is the equivalent of homemade bread vs. store bought bread. There's nothing with a fresher, fuller taste than sun tea when it's made the right way. To make it good, first get a clean gallon glass jar. Not plastic, glass. It does make a difference in the taste. Then fill the jar with ice cold water from the tap. Warm water lessens the fresh taste, so you want to use cold. Put two or three tea bags in the jar, carefully laying the ends of the strings over the top of the jar, so that the lid will hold the tea bags at the top when you put it on. Now I know the tea bag instructions say to use much more than two or three bags, but that's because they are trying to sell you more tea. You really only need two or three. Set the jar out in the sun for three to four hours or until it reaches the strength you desire. Remove the tea bags and hen refrigerate immediately. Delicious!

Fresh mint tea
What's the best way to use that fresh mint in your garden? In sun tea, of course. If you don't have fresh mint in your yard, ask around. Chances are that a neighbor or friend has more than they can use. Get a few sprigs and put them in the jar with the tea bags before putting it out in the sun. Remove the sprigs after brewing. Or, if you boil your tea, put the mint in at the same time as the tea bags, and remove when you remove the tea bags.

Orange tea
Orange tea makes me think of winter, but it can also be delicious when iced. Thinly slice two fresh oranges. At the point you put the ice tea into the fridge, add the orange slices to the top. Let them soak for about eight hours and then remove. They will leave behind a delightful orange flavor that's even better when you add a touch of sugar.

Sweet tea
The south is famous for its sweet tea. It's easy to make. Simply boil water and add about one cup of sugar, stirring to dissolve, before adding the tea. Then chill the tea in the fridge and serve over ice.

Green tea "smoothie"
Careful, this tea is addicting. But that's ok, green tea is very good for you. Make ice tea as normal, but using green tea instead of your normal ice tea. Once the ice tea is chilled, pour a serving into a glass, filling 3/4 of the glass. Then fill the rest of the glass with heavy cream. Stir together and enjoy.