Crikey it is HAWT out in this city! Yesterday while basking in the sun and drinking some semi-warm bubbles to celebrate my one year anniversary of being back in Toronto (yes, it has been a year already can you believe it!?), a new friend showed up to join the group with some of his own homemade iced tea in hand.

I was so impressed by his delicious and thirst-quenching icy brown rice tea (made with lemon and honey) that I thought: “why haven’t I ever tried to make my own iced tea!?” In this heat (we hit 39 degrees yesterday), it is so important to stay cool and hydrated throughout the day. It can become expensive to buy bottled beverages (that are often filled with way too much sugar) over and over, not to mention they create tons of extra waste.

Making your own iced tea is a delicious and healthy option that you can make as little or as much of as you’d like and it’s so easy! Here’s how to make it:

1. Put a full kettle on the stove to boil and select some teas. Here I have loose leaf Moroccan Mint and Jasmine tea (I decided to make two different kinds at once).

2. Find bowls, jugs or jars large enough for the quantity you need. Add approximately two tablespoons of tea (more or less depending on the amount you’re making) and poor in the boiling water. Since I was making two kinds, and was two lazy to wait for another kettle to boil, I split the boiling water between the two jugs and filled the rest with warm purified water. While the water is warm, stir in some honey (to taste).

3. Let steep over night and strain the leaves in the morning. You can play around with so many different flavours, and try adding fresh lemon juice, mint leaves, fruit, lavender… the possibilities are endless! Find some clean empty jars around your kitchen and fill them with tea for easy storage and grab-and-go packaging. Enjoy!!

ps. These will also make really great summer gifts to bring to friends’ BBQs, parties or park hang outs. Like my friend Nina said yesterday: “Bring a jar of homemade iced tea with some vodka on the side!” I think the old jars look really sweet with ribbons tied around them (you could also add a little tag to remind you of the different flavours in each jar), the red ribbon above is looking kind of sad but you get the point.