Homemade tea blend with citrus, berries, apples, roses and white tea is an invigorating infusion of sweet fruity flavors and the lively taste of antioxidant rich white tea.
HOMEMADE TEA WITH FRUITS, FLOWERS AND HERBS
The idea of this tea actually comes from my husband, who is an ardent aficionado of all kinds of tea. A while back he had made a great concoction using fruits dried in our food dehydrator and combined with some white tea, dried herbs and flowers.
It was so soothing and refreshing. So, I wanted to recreate that. And if you have been following this blog, you may remember another easy treat made with chocolate and dried fruit (oranges).
There are many varieties of commercially available teas of this kind. But if you have a food dehydrator at home, you can easily make your own copycat teavana tea creations – all for a fraction of the cost and it is so much fun.
You Can Enjoy This Tea with These Goodies:
- Samosa Pastry Rolls
- Cardamom Chickpea Cookies
- Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)
- German Crescent Cookies (Vanillekipferl)
HEALTH BENEFITS – DRIED FRUIT TEA
The best thing about this is that you will not need to use added sugar, as the dried fruits will release their sweetness during the tea infusion. Besides, that perception of sweetness is further heightened due to the sweet fruit flavors.
Have you tried white tea? It is much lighter in taste and color than black or green tea. Rather it results in a beverage that is pale yellow in color.
White teas are typically made from young or minimally processed leaves of the plant. It comes mostly from China and some parts of northern India. So, during my trips to India, I make sure to bring back some of it!
Is White Tea Good for You?
- White tea is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant properties. In fact, some research suggests that it may have more antioxidant potential than even green tea!
- It has been lauded for its anti-aging benefits and role in disease prevention. Some studies have shown that it may be beneficial in lowering blood pressure as well.
- Drinking white tea regularly has also been associated with greater bone density, healthier teeth and skin. And the good thing is that white tea will not stain the teeth like the darker teas!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FRUIT TEA OR HERBAL TEA
- It is important to choose fruits that are in the peak of the season. This will optimize the flavor and sweetness you can derive from the fruits. So pick fresh, ripe and sweet fruits.
- Make sure to not let the fruits over-dehydrate. Otherwise they may turn dark and have more of a caramelized flavor, rather than a fresh fruity flavor.
- If you do not have a dehydrator, here is a resource for drying fruits in the oven (but I have not tried it myself).
- Try to choose fruit, floral and herb flavors that will blend well together.
- When using white tea, you can use more of it in the blend as it is much milder and it can also be be steeped longer. But you could also try green tea.
Photography above: bijansviewfinder.com
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Rose and Dried Fruit Homemade Tea
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs each fresh fruit (apples, oranges, strawberry) for dehydrating and save the rest
- 1 ½ cups orange dried, organic
- 1 ½ cups apple dried, organic
- 1 ½ cups strawberry dried, organic
- 1 ½ cups roses dried, organic*
- 2 cups white tea
- 1/2 cup herbs dried, optional, (absinthium or wormwood, mint or your choice)
Instructions
DRIED FRUIT PREPARATION
- Scrub the surface of the oranges and apples with a vegetable brush and rinse well. Rinse the strawberries very well and drain. Wipe the fruit surface dry using a paper towel.
- Slice the fruits crosswise using a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife. Retain the peel and cut fruit into uniform 1/4-inch thick slices. Discard the end slices.
- Then place the fruit slices on the food dehydrator trays. Stack the trays in the dehydrator and turn it on.
- Next, let the fruit slices dehydrate until the fruit center is dry. Depending on the number of trays stacked, this may take six to eight hours or more.
- To allow uniform drying of the slices, do remember to switch the order of the trays.
- Once the fruit slices are dried well and crisp, break them into smaller pieces.
HOMEMADE TEA PREPARATION AND INFUSION
- Using the suggested ratio, combine the dried fruits with the white tea and dried roses. You may add some dried herbs if you prefer.
- Use hot water (but not boiling) as the tea may turn bitter due to the longer steeping time.
- You may use two tbsp of the homemade tea blend per 1 cup hot water. Adjust as per your taste.
- White tea can be steeped longer than black tea. It is recommended to steep the tea for 7 to 10 minutes.
Notes
- Do check out my homemade tea preparation tips above.
- You can buy dried roses (culinary grade) from Persian/ middle eastern/other ethnic grocery stores or online.
- Here is a detailed tutorial for white tea preparation.
NUTRITION FACTS
Servings: 60 Serving Size: 1 cup tea Calories - 5 kcals * The calories are an approximation based on similar commercial tea preparations, as it is difficult to estimate the amount of calories from the fruit sugars released. Nevertheless, they are minimal.Nutrition
Mandy
Can you do this with dried fruit from the store?
Roxana Begum
Yes, I would try that :) if you are able to find good quality dried apple slices, berries, citrus etc….
Ellen
This tea sounds so comforting on a cool night.
Roxana Begum
So happy you like it.
Shan
What type of white tea? There are many types. This recipe looks delicious and simple. I’m going to make some next weekend.
Thanks
Roxana Begum
Thanks Shan. I get it often from India and use a brand called Golden tips and I believe it is available online. And I use the different kinds – white exotica, silver tips, silver needle……..I have seen white tea at very inexpensive prices in the Chinese section of farmers markets in Atlanta. But you may be able to check any local Chinese stores if they have white tea and of course online too.
Agness of Run Agness Run
The combo of ingredients is awesome, Roxana! I will definitely try this tasty tea!
Roxana
Thank you. SO happy you like it :)