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Lemon tea is a delicious beverage, whether it’s served hot or iced! Drink hot honey lemon tea to soothe a sore throat, or cool down with a glass of iced lemon tea on a warm summer day. Once you get the basics down, feel free to experiment with different add-ins, like fresh fruit, flavored syrups, or even your favorite liquor.
Things You Should Know
- For hot tea, steep a black tea bag in a mug with hot water for 3-4 minutes before stirring in honey and lemon juice.
- For iced tea, brew it hot inside a temperature-proof pitcher with sugar, baking soda, and lemon juice before refrigerating it until cool.
- A slice of lemon makes for a nice garnish on the side of a mug or glass.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of honey
- 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water
- 1 black tea bag
- Slice of lemon for garnish (optional)
Makes 1 cup (240 mL) of hot honey lemon tea
- 4 cups (950 mL) of hot water
- 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) of baking soda
- 10 black tea bags
- 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 ⁄ 4 cup (120 to 180 mL) of lemon juice
- 4 cups (950 mL) of ice
- Slices of lemon for garnish (optional)
Makes 8 cups (1,900 mL) of iced lemon tea
Steps
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Bring 1 cup (240 mL) of water to a boil and put it into a mug. Put the water into a heatproof mug and microwave it for 30-60 seconds, or use a kettle on the stovetop and then pour the hot water into a mug. Use caution when handling hot liquids—use a dishtowel or oven mitt to protect your hands if needed. [1] X Research source- Every microwave varies on how long it’ll take to boil 1 cup (240 mL) of water. Start with 30 seconds and test the temperature to see if it’s hot enough. Keep adding 30 seconds to the timer until it gets to the right temperature.
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Steep a black tea bag in the hot water for 3-4 minutes. After the tea has steeped, remove the bag from the mug. If you don’t like the taste or don’t want the caffeine from black tea, you can skip this step entirely. Many people enjoy hot honey lemon tea without any actual “tea” in it at all! [2] X Research source- You could also use green tea, chai tea, or even a lemon-flavored herbal tea.
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Stir honey and lemon juice into the hot water. Use 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of honey and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice. If you’re using a fresh lemon, about 1/2 of one will give you 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of liquid. If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand, use bottled lemon juice for the same effect. [3] X Research source
- Make sure to stir the mixture until you can no longer see honey at the bottom of the mug.
Tip: If you add the honey to the mug before you pour in the hot water, it’ll dissolve faster.
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Add a fresh slice of lemon to the mug for an additional garnish. Use a clean cutting board or knife to cut either a wedge or slice out of a lemon. Squeeze it into the mug or simply drop it into the liquid to add a little extra lemon to your tea.
- Fresh lemon is an invigorating scent; even just smelling the lemon as you cut into it can instantly boost your spirits.
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Enjoy your hot honey lemon tea, but be careful to not burn yourself! Remember that the tea will be hot when you first go to drink it, so be careful to not burn your tongue. Hot honey lemon tea is delicious to enjoy on its own, but it can also be helpful if you have a cold or sore throat. [4] X Research source- Feel free to add more honey or sugar to your tea if you’d like it to be sweeter.
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Boil 4 cups (950 mL) of water and pour them into a heatproof pitcher. You can either boil the water in the microwave or use a kettle on the stovetop. If you use the microwave, it’ll take about 2-3 minutes, but check it before putting it into the pitcher to make sure it’s hot enough to steep tea in. [5] X Research source- If the water is boiling or steaming, it is hot enough. If you want to use a temperature gauge, aim for about 180 to 200 °F (82 to 93 °C).
Warning: Never put boiling water into a cold glass container. The temperature difference will shatter the glass.
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Stir the sugar and baking soda into the hot water until they’ve dissolved. Use 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) of baking soda. Stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon until you don’t see any more sugar granules at the bottom of the pitcher. [6] X Research source
- If you don’t like white sugar, you could also use the same amount of honey. Or, if you want the iced tea to be more or less sweet, just adjust how much sweetener you add at this stage.
Did You Know? Black tea has these things in it called tannins, which can give the tea a bitter taste. Baking soda helps neutralize the tannins so that your tea comes out tasting a lot smoother.
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Steep 10 black tea bags in the pitcher for 10 minutes. If you’re using regular single-serving tea bags, use 10. If you’re using larger bags meant to make pitchers of iced tea, use 2. Use a long-handled spoon to push the tea bags down so they are completely submerged in the hot water and set a timer. [7] X Research source
- Try doing a half-black and half-green tea mix for a slightly different flavor or add in a few herbal tea bags to the mix to infuse it with a fruity flavor.
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Remove the tea bags and squeeze them out over the pitcher. After the 10 minutes have passed, carefully spoon the bags up out of the pitcher. Use a second spoon to squeeze out the liquid from the bags so that you don’t lose any tea. Discard of the bags once you’re done with them. [8] X Research source
- Tea bags can be composted if you don’t want to throw them away in the trash.
- You can also reuse tea bags around the house.
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Juice 6 lemons into the pitcher and stir the tea. If you don’t have fresh lemons, use about 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 ⁄ 4 cup (120 to 180 mL) of lemon juice. If you’re worried about the tea being too sour, add a little, test the tea, and keep adding more until it reaches the right flavor. [9] X Research source
- Try adding in the juice of 1-2 oranges along with the lemons for a sweeter citrus flavor.
- If you accidentally add too much lemon, you could always add more water or more sweetener to combat the flavor.
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Add 4 cups (950 mL) of ice and refrigerate the tea until it gets cool. The ice helps cool the tea down quickly, and it’ll also double your recipe once it has melted. About 2-3 hours in the fridge should be long enough to cool it down, but go ahead and serve the tea over additional ice if it’s still a little warm. [10] X Research source- Try subbing out half of the ice for frozen berries instead.
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Garnish a glass with 1-2 slices of lemon, pour the tea, and enjoy! You can keep leftover iced tea in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just make sure to cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap so bugs can’t get into it. [11] X Research source
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Grate some fresh ginger into your hot lemon tea for added benefits. About 1 inch (2.5 cm) of fresh ginger should be enough to impart its flavor and give you digestive and soothing benefits, but of course, feel free to modify the amount to your personal tastes. [12] X Research source
- You can use ground ginger, but the taste and health benefits won’t be the same as if you had used fresh ginger. About 1/4 teaspoon (1.75 grams) of ground ginger equals about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of fresh ginger.
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Enjoy a hot toddy by adding whiskey to your hot lemon tea. Add 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of whiskey to your already-made lemon tea. Stir the mixture with a spoon to disperse the alcohol so it isn't left floating at the top of the mug. [13] X Research source
- Experiment with flavors by subbing out whiskey for scotch, brandy, spiced rum, or a flavored liqueur.
- You could also spike your iced lemon tea with an infusion of liquor.
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Take your tea to the next level by adding a sprinkle of dried spice. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise, or even chili powder would give your tea an additional warming element. Simply stir a pinch, or about 1/4 teaspoon (.5 grams), of the chosen spice into your tea and enjoy. [14] X Research source- If you have cinnamon sticks, add 1 to your mug before pouring in the hot water.
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Make a flavored simple syrup to infuse your tea with a new essence. Mint or raspberry are great flavors that will complement the lemon in your hot or iced tea. Heat up 1 cup (200 grams) of white sugar and 1 cup (240 mL) of water, and simmer them together until the sugar dissolves, which takes about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in either 1 cup (25 grams) of mint leaves or 1 cup (125 grams) of fresh raspberries. Let them steep for 30 minutes, then strain the liquid into a glass jar to use in your tea. [15] X Research source- Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) of simple syrup to your cup of tea to sweeten and flavor it all at the same time.
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Add soda water to make a sparkling iced tea. Simply fill your glass partially with iced tea and top off the rest with soda water. The more soda water you use, the more carbonated your tea will be. Feel free to use plain soda water or flavored. [16] X Research source- Soda water is also often called sparkling water, seltzer water, or fizzy water.
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Stir in fresh fruit to add a splash of color and invigorating flavor. Orange slices, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, and many other fruits are great additions to your iced tea. Add about 1/4 cup (45 grams) of fresh fruit to your glass and pour the iced tea over top of it. [17] X Research source- The fruit is delicious to eat when you finish drinking your tea.
- You could even freeze some fruit and use it in your iced tea in place of actual ice.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I make hot honey lemon tea?Community AnswerBoil water, add fresh lemon juice (as much as you like), and squeeze in some organic honey. Otherwise, brew a lemon-tea bag and add a squirt of honey.
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QuestionWe have no honey at home. Should I use sugar instead of honey.LivPizza :DCommunity AnswerYes, though it may not taste as good as honey because lemon and honey are more flavorful.
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QuestionMy lemon has green zest; can it be as effective as yellow lemon if used as tea?Community AnswerYes, as would be the zest of a lime if desired.
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Tips
- Feel free to adjust each recipe to your personal tastes. Add more or less sugar or honey, more or less lemon, or a different type of tea so that your drink is perfect for you.Thanks
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Warnings
- Be careful when handling hot liquids as they could easily burn your hands. Use a dish towel or oven mitt when needed.Thanks
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Things You’ll Need
Making Hot Honey Lemon Tea
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus press
- Mug
- Teapot or microwave
- Spoon
- Dishtowel or oven mitt
Brewing Iced Lemon Tea
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus press
- Teapot or microwave
- Glasses
- Long-handled spoon
- Heatproof pitcher
- Dishtowel or oven mitt
References
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/honey_and_lemon_tea/
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/honey_and_lemon_tea/
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/honey_and_lemon_tea/
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/honey_and_lemon_tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://www.errenskitchen.com/sweet-lemon-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/tea-10-things-add-your-make-it-taste-even-better
- ↑ https://cookieandkate.com/classic-hot-toddy-recipe/
- ↑ https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/8-ways-spice-your-morning-coffee-or-tea.html
- ↑ https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/tea-10-things-add-your-make-it-taste-even-better
- ↑ https://kirbiecravings.com/sparkling-iced-tea/
- ↑ https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/tea-10-things-add-your-make-it-taste-even-better
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To prepare lemon black tea, start by putting 1 cup of boiling water in a mug and steeping a black tea bag in it for 3 to 4 minutes. After you take the tea bag out of your mug, add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to your tea. If you want, add a slice of lemon to your mug as a garnish. To make lemon and water “tea,” start by boiling water in a kettle or on the stovetop. Once the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the hot water. If you like your drink sweet, add sugar to taste before pouring. To learn how to make lemon iced tea, keep reading!
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