Fruity Yerba Mate Iced Tea Recipe
This fruity yerba mate iced tea is the perfect drink for this summer.
It's sweet and fruity while still being really healthy and only using natural fruit, fruit juice and of course, iced yerba mate. Yerba mate also is said to help its users tolerate hot and humid weather, which makes it even better as a summer drink!
If you've never heard of yerba mate, it's a caffeinated tea originating from South America. Yerba mate contains 85 milligrams of caffeine per cup, which is less than coffee but more than a cup of tea. Although, similar to tea, yerba mate won't make you jittery like coffee does because of the way it is absorbed into the bloodstream and therefore will also not cause you to have a caffeine crash.
Yerba Mate Benefits
Yerba mate is full of antioxidants and nutrients, because of this can help boost your immune system. It is also very cleansing, can help your body in releasing toxins, and is great to drink if you're on a cleanse or fasting.
Recipe Step-by-Step
This recipe is super simple. I started by adding about 2-3 tbsp of yerba mate to about 1 liter of boiling water. Let that steep for at least 20 minutes, but I put mine in the refrigerator for about an hour to cool down.
When it's done, just strain out the tea leaves.
For the next part you can use whatever type of juice you want.
I used orange but cranberry or apple would be really good, too. The ratio is 2 parts yerba mate to 1 part juice (although if you like it sweeter you can always add more). Add your yerba mate and juice of choice to a pitcher.
Next, cut up any fruit you like.
This is going to infuse into the iced tea, making it almost like a sangria. I used orange slices, lemon slices, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. (I really recommend using these, it tasted amazing).
Just add in your fruit, and you can drink it right away, but I recommend letting it sit for at least an hour or overnight because the fruit will infuse into the drink and make it so much better!
Not only is it delicious and healthy, it's gorgeous! Perfect to bring to a barbecue or picnic.
Yerba Mate Drink Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of hot water
- 2-3 tbsp yerba mate
- ½ liter orange juice
- Any fruit of your choice!
Directions:
Add 2-3 tbsp of yerba mate loose leaf tea and let steep for 20-60 minutes in the refrigerator. Once it is done steeping, strain out the tea leaves and add orange juice and sliced fruit. Let the mixture sit and infuse for at least an hour and serve over ice.
Summary:
This drink is so delicious and perfect to make for summer. There are so many health benefits to this drink, it's very easy to make and would be perfect to bring to any summer barbecue or picnic!