This Easy 3 Ingredient Basil Tea is my new summer favorite. Fresh basil, a touch of honey, and a pinch of baking soda are all you need to make this unique and refreshing summer iced tea.
If you planted basil this year and it’s growing faster than you can clip and cook with it, this is a healthy and delicious way to put some of those bolting stems to good use.
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What Can I Do With Extra Basil From My Garden? Give This Easy 3 Ingredient Basil Tea a Try.
If your basil plant is anything like mine this year, you know just how quickly one little plant can turn into a flourishing herb the size of a small shrub. Every few days I’d head outside intending to snip a handful of leaves for dinner, only to come back with an armful of fragrant basil and no idea what to do with it all. That’s exactly how this fresh basil tea recipe came to be. I love a good pesto, but I wanted something quick, simple, and delicious that would help me keep up with my harvest while making good use of those beautiful basil tops.
One of the best things you can do for a healthy sweet basil plant is to harvest it regularly before it begins to flower, a stage gardeners call bolting. Once basil starts producing flowers, the plant naturally shifts its energy from growing tender, flavorful leaves to producing seeds. By pinching or cutting the stems just above a pair of leaves every week or two, you’re encouraging the plant to branch out, become fuller, and continue producing fresh basil throughout the growing season.
Regular harvesting not only helps prevent bolting, but it also gives you an abundance of fresh basil to enjoy in recipes like pesto, salads, infused oils, and—my new favorite—a simple homemade basil tea sweetened with a little honey.
So if your garden is overflowing and you’re wondering what to do with all that fresh basil before it flowers, consider this your invitation to brew a cup. Your basil plant will thank you with even more lush, aromatic growth, and you’ll have a wonderfully refreshing herbal tea that’s every bit as satisfying as it is easy to make.
Health Benefits of Fresh Basil
Fresh sweet basil is more than a fragrant culinary herb that is also packed with naturally occurring compounds that make it a nutritious addition to your daily routine. Rich in antioxidants, including flavonoids and polyphenols, fresh basil helps protect the body’s cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. It also provides small amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and calcium, all of which support overall wellness. Additionally, basil naturally contains aromatic essential oils, which have been studied for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
While a warm cup of fresh basil tea is not a substitute for medical care, it can be a soothing, caffeine-free herbal beverage that promotes hydration. In the heat of summer, it makes for a healthy and refreshing iced tea. Either way you serve it, basil tea offers a simple way to enjoy the nutritional benefits of this versatile garden herb.
Whether you’re harvesting basil from your backyard herb garden or purchasing fresh basil from your local farmers market, making homemade fresh basil tea is an easy way to enjoy this flavorful herb throughout the growing season. This basil tea recipe combines fresh basil, honey, and a pinch of baking soda to create a bright, refreshing drink that can be enjoyed hot or iced.
If you’re a home gardener looking for creative ways to use an abundant basil harvest, or simply wanting to incorporate more fresh herbs into a healthy lifestyle, this recipe is for you!
Why Do I Need a Pinch of Baking Soda?
If you’re a wine drinker, you’ve heard of Tannins – but what are they exactly?
Tannins are naturally-occurring, macromolecules found all throughout the plant world. These oxygen and hydrogen molecules form complex bonds that can produce an unpleasant color, taste or odor in food. There is a very complex, scientific explanation of what Tannins are exactly; however, I’m not a scientist.
With that said, my oversimplified explanation is this: Tannins are a plant’s best attempt at self-preservation. When you pick, cut into, or process certain seeds, vegetables, and fruits, the plant is working to make itself less desirable – even downright unpalatable.
If you think about it, it’s really quite brilliant. You’re a plant nicely rooted in a garden enjoying the sunshine, minding your own business, when someone comes along and tries to eat you. Honestly, I’d become a little bitter, too – especially if I thought it would prevent a future assault.
For our purposes here, tannins are what give tea that harsh, bitter aftertaste you may be familiar with. Basil has naturally occurring tannins, so in this recipe, we use baking soda to neutralize them for a smoother flavor.
Thank You for Visiting the MOstly Bakes Blog!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this recipe for sweet basil tea. If you’re looking for more delicious beverage ideas, please check out the Libations section of the blog. There you’ll find a wide range of cocktail and mocktail recipes for your sipping enjoyment.
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Blessings & enjoy!
Easy 3 Ingredient Basil Tea
Course: BeveragesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes30
minutesFresh basil, a touch of honey, and a pinch of baking soda make are all you need to make this unique and refreshing summer iced tea.
Ingredients
8 cups cold water
2 Cups fresh basil, approximately one good handful (leaves, stems, and flowers will work for this recipe)
2 Tbsp. Honey or Agave nectar
Pinch of Baking Soda
Directions
- In a large stock pot, bring the water to the boil.
- While the water is heating, rinse the basil. Remove any bad pieces, dirt, or hitchhikers (aka little bugs)
- When the water reaches the boil, add the basil and baking soda and give it a gentle stir. Place a lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and allow the tea to steep for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove and discard the basil. Stir in the honey or Agave. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before transferring to a pitcher.
- Once the tea is cool, pour it through a strainer to remove any small basil particles and transfer the finished tea to a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Serve well-chilled over ice, and garnish with a slice of lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple if desired.
Notes
- Straining the tea feels like a lot of work. Is there another way I can do this? If you don’t have a fine strainer, you can bundle the fresh basil in cheese cloth before adding it to the water. Create a little sachet bundle and tie off the ends with cooking twine. Be sure to loosely wrap the leaves so that the water is able to circulate through the bundle. You want all that lovely basil flavor to come through. When the tea is finished steeping, simple drain and discard.
