Lime & Basil Iced Tea Recipe to make at Home

Lime and basil are pretty popular ingredients and are often used together. That said, I don’t see them together much in drinks. I feel we need to rectify this because they go so well together. Since we have been adding some drinks and other dishes that go well with hummus, we thought this family recipe from our own recipe book might be a good one to include.  Iced tea is a popular drink all around the world, and it pairs well with different fruits, herbs and spices. Having a handy lime & basil iced tea recipe on hand might be ideal if guests decide to turn up.

Some people feel that basil has a strong flavor, and this can be off putting. When it is steeped in water to make a tea, it takes on a lovely flavor which gives this drink a good zing. It feels nice on the tongue, and coupled with the green tea, its a really good choice. Mixed with fresh lime, it really does take on a unique and beautiful taste.

Why Basil

If you are wondering why we chose basil for this drink, the answer is simple. Basil has heaps of health benefits and you will be pleasantly surprised when you taste it. Packed with healthy antioxidants, this herb has been grown for thousands of years around the world. For this recipe, we have used the sweet type, and not the Thai.  Also boasting magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin c, calcium and vitamin K. Not only that, but it is also high in omega 3 fatty acids. All around it’s pretty good for you, and most people would advise you to eat it if you can.

We of course don’t eat it, but instead we steep six of the leaves in water to give the green tea a bit of extra oomph.

Basil used in larger quantities is said to have many health benefits in relation to memory, mental alertness and tooth decay. As mentioned earlier, we aren’t using enough to get these benefits, but feel free to add basil to your food, perhaps a pesto, to get more of it into your diet. 

Lime

Fresh lime is such a wonderful flavor. So fresh and zesty. Not much is more surprising than getting a mouthful of fresh lime. Lime is usually associated with soft drinks or sodas. Using it in a tea, particularly an iced version can be a nice rest from using fresh lemon. When mixed with the fresh sweet basil, the lime is a really nice counter balance to the tartness of the lime. All in all an awesome combination for an iced tea which is ideal to drink all year around. Lime is also high in health benefits so it’s worth adding it to your diet. 

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this lovely drink.

1 x fresh lime

6 x sweet basil leaves

2 x green tea bags

6 teaspoons of raw sugar (or honey to sweeten)

1 litre of boiling water

Method

Prepare your iced tea jug. Ours is made of glass so I rinse with warm water, then boil the kettle and put a small amount in the bottom to get the glass ready. Don’t fill a glass container with boiling water. It may shatter. We got this jug from Target Australia for $3, which is pretty cheap. It goes in the dishwasher, but not the lid. 

Once you have warmed your jug up, add the 2 teabags. We also add the sugar at this time. As if you were making a large cup of green tea. Once the tea has steeped for 5 minutes, add the lime. We cut ours up into 3 pieces, and also squeezed gently as we put it into the jug. Then add your basil leaves and allow it to cool on the counter.

Once it is cooled enough that you can put it in the fridge without cracking your glass shelves, put it in the fridge for a few hours. Overnight is even better.

Some people prefer less or more sugar. Others also prefer to use honey to sweeten their tea. I prefer raw sugar, so you can choose honey instead, it’s totally up to your taste.

We hope you enjoy drinking this family recipe as much as we do. It’s an aquired taste but it’s a great alternative to sodas or other drinks that have chemicals in them. If you use honey to sweeten instead of sugar, then you can save a few calories. Please share our recipe with your friends and family and we will be adding more soon.