When life gives you lemons, what can you do? Anything you want! But with the scorching summer days still rolling in here and there, you can’t beat a fresh cold drink that’s not fizzy and not alcoholic. My sister has recently shown me a recipe she’s been using for lemon ice tea and I wanted to share that with you too! It’s inspired by Erren’s Kitchen.

It’s a tasty and quick recipe to make, perfect for summer barbeques or as a beverage to have with a good book. You can of course make variations of this tea if you don’t fancy or like lemon, you could even try peach! But if you’re craving a bulk load of home-made Liptons, then this is the recipe for you.

After you’ve gathered the above, you’re well on the way to make your own lemon ice tea.

Instructions

1. Cut fresh 6 lemons in half and use a lemon squeezer to remove as much juice as possible. Use some elbow grease to squeeze the excess with your hands. 1 lemon can be cut up into slices to add to the finished drink when it’s ready.

2. In a saucepan, pour in the sugar and baking soda. Add 1 litre of boiling water (easily measured with a jug!). Mix until it’s all dissolved and the mixture is relatively clear.

3. Add the 10 tea bags and let it steep/brew for just 10 minutes.

4. After the 10 minutes are up, squeeze the tea bags and remove them. Use a tea strainer to pour the lemon juice you squeezed earlier. This will get rid of any seeds and pulp you don’t want floating in your drink.

5. Add the lemon juice to the water/sugar/baking soda mix and add an additional 1 litre of cold water.

6. Decanter the mix into jars big enough to hold 2 litres of the lemon ice tea. These will need to sit in the fridge for a few hours to cool.

7. Serve up!

TIP: With the leftover squeezed lemons, add some hot water to them and microwave them. The fragrance will fill a room and leave it smelling fresh. Alternatively, you can dry them too for something like pot pourri.

So there we have the recipe for some delicious lemon ice tea! I’d love to hear if you try this recipe and what you think of it, it would even make for a nice gift or if you don’t want to turn up empty-handed to a gathering. This drink is also a great pick-me-up if you’re feeling a bit rough and dehydrated.

Remember to grab life by the lemons. Until next time,

Emily x