Friday Favorite: Vanilla Rooibos Tea
I’m usually not much of one for drinking cold beverages, lukewarm works well for me. This summer however, I’ve really been enjoying glasses of iced Vanilla Rooibos Tea from Mt Rose Herbs. I started drinking regular rooibos tea last year and thought it might be good chilled in the summer. Sure enough, it is. There’s just something wonderful about the flavor profile of this tea, it works perfectly chilled.
I made a half gallon at a time, by simply adding 2 Tablespoons of tea in a half gallon of filtered water. The jar is set on the picnic table in the sun for a few hours and voila – sun tea without heating up the kitchen or using any gas.
Into the fridge the tea goes and it gets strained with a piece of cheesecloth right into the glasses when we want something to drink. If you like a sweeter tea, a little honey works well with the flavors in this tea.
What’s your favorite cooling off beverage after a hot day of gardening?
Filed under Friday Favorites | Comments (7)
This sounds good! I’ve become a fan of rooibus tea as well. Have you tried a rooibus chai? That’s really good!
to Melissa's comment
This sounds good! I’ve become a fan of rooibos tea as well. Have you tried a rooibos chai? That’s really good!
to Melissa's comment
Susy, when I’m really hot and sweaty, a cool drink of water can’t be beat. I’m not talking about really cold ice water but just cool. When I’m out in the big garden away from home, I drink water from a half gallon juice container. It’s just a bit on the warm side. In my humble opinion, it doesn’t shock my body as much when I’m working hard. Just taking a break and keeping the fluids replenished gives me energy to continue with the task at hand which right now is fence building.
Now at home when I’m not working, that’s another story. I usually like to mix raspberry fruit juice with Canada Dry Raspberry sparkling seltzer water. It has a great fruit taste with just a hint of fizz. That is cooled by pouring over a tray of ice that been put in a quart canning jar. Nice.
Of course nothing can replace waking up with Folger’s in my cup.
to Nebraska Dave's comment
I’ve been experimenting with all varieties of rooibos this year for hot and cold drinks. Our local ice cream shop has a huge wall of loose teas as well, so when we head in for a treat, I pick up a couple different tea flavors.
So far my favorite is sunshine lemon and strawberry rooibos with a little bit of honeybush tea leaves to give it that sweetness. The owner of the shoppe says he has a customer that gets raspberry and orange rooibos, brews them double strength, then dilutes them with sparkling water or seltzer and adds honey as a soda replacement for her kids. :)
to whit's comment
First plain tap water, because it can be chugged down quickly. Then, after the serious thirst is assuaged, cold plain seltzer from the refrigerator.
I got one of those SodaStream seltzer maker things for Christmas awhile ago and it’s about the best present I have ever received. I drink a LOT of seltzer.
And, as whit mentioned above, you can mix it with any kind of sweet thing (the syrup left from canned peaches or pears most often here at Blackrock, or the juice left from thawed strawberries or peaches) and make a kind of soda for kids. Or adults. :-)
to kristin @ going country's comment
Icey, ice water for me! Man, sometimes when hiking and it was so hot I would just dream of ice, among other things, but a glass of ice water to quench my thirst always hits the spot, whether gardening or hiking.
to Misti's comment
Rooibos is my favorite tea!
to Sierra N Hampl's comment