Growing up in Texas, I learned two things: iced tea is made to be sweet, and nothing is better than your mama’s recipe (except for maybe Chick-fil-A’s). However, Ina Garten just proved both of those ideals wrong in one fell swoop. She shared her Herbal Iced Tea recipe, which will change everything you thought you knew about this summer beverage. And with just three simple ingredients required, we’ll be making this drink all summer long.
“A couple of neighbors are stopping by this afternoon, and they told me not to make anything to drink. I can’t help myself!” Garten wrote on Instagram recently. She shared that she used to make a “really easy iced tea” at her Hamptons store, which had “no caffeine and [was] naturally sweetened with apple juice.”
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“It’s so refreshing, especially during a heat wave!” she added.
This recipe, which was originally published in her Family Style cookbook, requires three items: Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags, Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags, and four cups of pure apple juice. Yes, apple juice!
The Barefoot Contessa first steeps some of each flavor of tea bags in a large measuring cup with hot water. Next, she pours the tea into a pitcher and adds the apple juice. And you’re done!
“Grab some glasses, ice, pour it over,” Garten coaches in the clip. “It’s going to be delicious.”
This tea is so easy to make, and even without any added sugar, this Texan would love it! The Lemon Zinger tea provides a lemon, lemongrass, and hibiscus flavor, while the Red Zinger has hibiscus, peppermint, and wild cherry bark.
Honestly, it sounds like a perfect dupe for Starbucks’ Iced Passion Tango Tea, which is a blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple, hand-shaken with ice. Starbucks also makes a version with lemonade added, which we bet would taste good in Garten’s recipe too.
The comments were full of praise for this drink. “Perfect for a hot summer day! Never thought to add apple juice. Yum 😍” one person wrote. Someone else said, “Looks so delicious for summer! 💕”
Get Garten’s full Herbal Iced Tea recipe online HERE.
Before you go, check out Garten’s best dinner recipes below:
