Not to state the obvious, but boy it's been hot! Interestingly South Florida, when compared to the rest of the US, has been one of the cooler places to be.

A great way to quench your thirst in this sweltering heat is by drinking iced tea.
Unlike soda, which actually leaves you thirsty, iced tea, has healthy benefits. You can drink any tea cold whether its black, white, oolong or green, so try your favorite over ice.

I have been collecting some ideas for adding a sweet touch to summer teas and thought I would share them.

Anyone who sweetens their iced tea knows that trying to get sugar to dissolve in a cold brew is difficult. The solution, simple syrup. Easy to make, simple syrup will last in the refrigerator, in an air tight container, for about 2 months.

Simple Syrup;
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 3/4 cups water
Prepare ice bath, a bowl with both ice and water, and set aside.
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour syrup into a bowl, one that will fit into the ice bath, and set in bath. Stir occasionally until the syrup is chilled.

For more interesting simple syrup try the combinations below.

Ginger Syrup
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 6 inch piece of peeled, thinly sliced ginger
Combine ginger, sugar and water; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes. Remove the ginger. Use and store.

Mint or Lemon Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed, chopped fresh mint leaves
or
2 lemons, zest and juice from both
1 1/2 cups water
Combines sugar, water and mint or lemon (juice and zest) in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer remove mint or lemon. Use and store.

Rosemary Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
6 sprig's fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups water
Combine sugar, water and rosemary in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. Remove rosemary. Use and store.

All of these syrups can be added to tea, lemonade, limeade or just about any drink you wish. These syrup recipes came from Martha Stewart Living several years ago so I do not take credit for them.

Maybe you have a delicious way to brew up summer teas? If so share them with me and I will post them on this blog!

I will be posting some more tea recipes over the next few days so come back and visit!

Thanks, Beth