Exact quantities, then the method.
Iced peach and basil Rooibos is a more grown-up iced tea than most. Peach is a natural match for rooibos, since the fruit's sweetness sits right on the leaf's honey-malt, and a handful of bruised basil is the surprise that ties it together, fresher against ripe stone fruit than the more obvious mint.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Iced Rooibos with Peach and Basil recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/iced-tea/iced-rooibos-with-peach-and-basil/
Brew the rooibos hot with peach wedges and basil so the flavours steep into it, sweeten lightly with honey, then crash it cold over ice. Fresh peach slices and a basil sprig in each glass keep it looking and tasting like summer.
You'll need
- 4 Loyd Pure Rooibos pyramid bags
- 500ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- 2 ripe peaches, stones removed (one cut into wedges for the jug, one cut into thin slices for the serving glasses)
- A handful of fresh basil leaves, about 20g, bruised between the palms
- 2 tbsp acacia honey or raw blossom honey
- 250ml well-chilled still water
- Plenty of cubed ice for the jug and the serving glasses
- 4 small fresh basil sprigs, for the serving glasses
Method
- Drop the 4 Loyd Pure Rooibos pyramid bags, the wedges of one peach and the bruised fresh basil leaves into a 1-litre heatproof jug.
- Bring the kettle to a true rolling boil and pour the 500ml of rolling-boiling water straight over the contents of the jug.
- Stir in the 2 tablespoons of acacia honey while the brew is still hot, until fully dissolved.
- Cover the jug with a saucer and steep for six full minutes; the rooibos wants the full six and the peach and basil infuse alongside.
- Lift the bags from the jug with a teaspoon, press each gently against the side, and discard. Leave the peach wedges and basil leaves in the jug.
- Add a generous handful of cubed ice to the jug and stir for thirty seconds to drop the temperature fast, then stir in the 250ml of well-chilled still water.
- Cover the jug and chill in the fridge for twenty minutes; the rest in the cold lets the peach settle into the rooibos.
- Slice the second peach into thin rounds for the serving glasses.
- Fill four tall glasses with cubed ice. Pour the iced rooibos into each through a small sieve, lifting a peach wedge and a basil leaf into each glass, then slide two fresh peach slices on top of the ice.
- Tuck a small basil sprig into each glass against the side and serve straight away with long bar straws.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Loyd Pure Rooibos, 20 Tea Bags 40g
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