🧊🍑 National Iced Tea Month 🫖🫐

June is National Iced Tea Month—not just a day or a single week but the whole month, and I love that!

I've recently talked about teas that make great iced teas. That brings me to herbal teas, or, more specifically, to cold-brewing herbal teas, a topic I'm getting quite a few questions about.

Herbal tea is any tea or tisane beverage that does not come from the tea plant camellia sinensis, from which we get black, oolong, white, and green tea.

Now, let's talk about cold-brewing herbal teas.

There are two views on this: yes, you can and no, you shouldn't. I'm not trying to be funny, but if you smiled and thought, "Yep, that cleared it right up," let me explain.

I prefer to brew all herbals with boiling water.

If I want to convert them to iced teas, I let them cool on the counter for a bit and then finish chilling them in the fridge. When they're cold, I pour them over ice. Many of my herbal teas work well, both hot and cold.

So why not cold brew them? I have two reasons.

1. Safety. If you brew black, oolong, green, or white teas, they've already undergone a heat process that eliminates bacteria and/or contamination. However, herbal teas have not been heated. Over the years, there have been documented cases of salmonella-related food poisoning with cold brewed herbal teas, which is why I brew my herbal teas with boiling water.
2. Flavor. I find steeping herbal teas in hot water releases their flavors much more, giving you a richer, fuller-bodied cup of tea. Herbal teas have been used for years to help with health issues, and steeping them in boiling water can extract these properties more effectively than cold brewing.

These are my personal thoughts. You can decide which method is best for you because many people around the globe cold brew their herbal teas without any issues. I choose to err on the side of caution.

Here are three herbal teas you may enjoy, both hot or as an iced tea.

Evening on the Bayou is a caffeine-free, casual herbal tea that combines a chamomile base with sweet spearmint, vanilla, and other tantalizing flavors.

It makes my taste buds happy.

After I brew the first cup, I immediately rebrew the leaves to make a second cup, which I refrigerate for a cold brew the next day. It's a twofer.

Chamomile is another excellent herbal tea you can brew hot or enjoy as an iced tea.

Gentle and soothing, chamomile can be traced back to ancient Egypt. It has a cool bit of trivia: the word chamomile comes from Greek and means "earth apple."

My Organic Tulsi Cranberry Orange Ginger is the third herbal tea I enjoy. This antioxidant powerhouse is great hot and, I've found, also delicious cold. Tulsi, or Holy Basil, has been used for thousands of years in India and Nepal for its medicinal properties.

Tulsi is known to be rich in antioxidants. Research has shown that it could have a positive effect on several metabolic issues, including:

• Lowering blood sugar;
• Improving LDL cholesterol;
• Improving blood pressure;
• Decreasing inflammation;
• Boosting immunity to help fight infections.

Tulsi could also benefit people with diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, arthritis, fibromyalgia, stress, anxiety, or fatigue.

When you combine Tulsi with the great taste of cranberry and orange and the health properties of ginger, you've got one great-tasting tea that's good for you.

Do you have any questions or need suggestions? Feel free to reply to this email, call, or text. We're here to assist you every step of the way!

Here's to enjoying our herbal teas hot, cold, or, if you're like me, both ways,

~Dani

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. It is not to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare or medical professional.