28 Jun Nectarine Basil Iced Tea
The warm summer weather is finally here! I am so used to warm weather here in LA and I love the warmth so much more than the cold. This summer is definitely going to be a hot one, with a lot of days 100F, so I am going to be prepared with lots of ice cold drinks and fresh juicy fruit!
Summer means lots of stone fruit and melon for me. I went to Costco last week and got 2 pallets each of nectarines and white peaches. I felt like it took so long for them to ripen, and when they did, they ALL ripened, so I’ve been using them in anything and everything I can think of. I came across Minimalist Baker’s Perfect Peach Iced Tea in her weekly subscription emails, and I knew it was a great way to use up my fruit. Unfortunately, my dad and I had gobbled up all of the peaches already as they are our favorite, but I figured nectarines would be equally as delicious.
I tweaked the recipe a bit, and came up with my own version. I subbed out the white sugar with organic coconut sugar and medjool dates. As always, customize this recipe to your liking. Increase or decrease the amount of sweetener used, or even use a different sweetener if there is one that appeals to you more than what I used. The basil is also optional, but I felt it added a nice fresh touch, especially when served cold.
Nectarine Basil Iced Tea
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10
- Category: Snack, Drink
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- Simple Syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 2 ripe nectarines
- 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
- 2 medjool dates (or more coconut sugar)
- Tea:
- 4 black tea bags
- 8 cups filtered water
- To serve:
- Fresh nectarines, sliced
- Fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Chop up the medjool dates into small pieces, as small as you can get them. Place your dates, nectarines and water into a pot, and heat until boiling. Bring the heat to low and use a wooden spoon to stir and mash the nectarines and dates a bit to infuse the flavor.
- When the sugar is dissolved, cover your pot and remove from heat. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Now grab a larger pot and brew your tea. Bring your water to a boil and add the tea bags for 4.5 minutes, 5 minutes max.
- Remove the tea bags and transfer to a pitcher that you can place in the refrigerator to cool.
- Strain your simple syrup into a bottle or container (you can save the nectarines for later use).
- Once cooled, combine the simple syrup and tea into a large pitcher. If using basil, combine the basil in as well and allow it to infuse for at least an hour.
- Serve in individual glasses over ice with fresh sliced nectarines and more basil if desired.
Notes
Adapted from the ‘Perfect Peach Iced Tea’ recipe on minimalistbaker.com
No Comments