Cranberry Green Tea - Refreshing Easy Summer Drink

Ahh. Iced Cranberry Green Tea is my go-to drink during the Summer months.

At my house, we enjoy sipping on it while rocking on the front porch, eating festive Summery lunches or dinners, and lounging around the (inflatable - don't judge) pool.

The best part? It comes together super fast and you'll have a pitcher all ready to go in the refrigerator all week long.

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Potential Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea:

• Green Tea is loaded with antioxidants and has been said to be one of the healthiest drinks to exist.
• L-Theanine in Green Tea may help improve brain function, produce a calming effect, and improve memory.
• EGCG Catechins can reduce free radicals in the body, helping slow aging and preventing cell damage from leading to cancer and many other diseases. The presence of these catechins in Green Tea may also play a role in protecting the brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
• Green Tea may lower bad cholesterol.
• A Japanese study of Green Tea suggested drinking many cups of Green Tea a day may even help extend your lifetime.

Potential Health Benefits of Drinking Cranberry Juice:

• Just like with Green Tea, there are antioxidants in Cranberry Juice that fight the development of harmful free radicals in the body. This may help reduce the risk of; cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and urinary tract infections.
• Cranberries are high in polyphenols, which is a chemical that may improve heart health and lower bad cholesterol.
• Phytochemicals in cranberries may benefit digestive health.

*Cranberry may interact with certain medications, so it is important to check before using.*

Notes on Iced Cranberry Green Tea:

• Tip: To add even more health benefits to this Summer drink, add fresh cranberries. You can either mash them or leave them whole to infuse into the tea. Note; if you mash them, you may need to increase the sugar or honey in this recipe to counteract any added tartness. You could even make your own freshly-squeezed cranberry juice if you have time and patience.
• Steep your Green Tea within a certain temperature range, not in boiling water. Green tea has delicate leaves and the flavor tends to become bitter if the water is too hot. Tea temperature brewing is quite the debate on the internet, believe it or not. I have found many different sources recommending many different temperatures from 140-190 F to brew green tea. Personally I aim for just under 190 degrees F and I steep 3-4 minutes. I use a meat thermometer to take the temperature of the water. Simple as that.
• Be sure to unwrap all of your tea packets long before the water comes to temp, so you're not rushing at the last minute. I like to sit my tea bags in a measuring cup (pictured above). After the tea has steeped, I place the wet tea bags back in the measuring cup and press them with a spoon to get the excess liquid out. I will then discard the bags and pour the extra tea straight into the pot.
• I like to leave the lemon pulp in my tea.

• Only add ice when serving (not to the pitcher).
• I prefer to keep the cranberry juice separate from the steeped green tea mixture. I will pour ¾ of a glass with the iced tea.

• Then add in ¼ cranberry juice. If you want to add cranberry juice straight to the tea pitcher, start with about 2-3 cups of cranberry juice, then taste and adjust to your liking.

And that's it!

If you like this Summery recipe, check out some of my other favorites:

Salmon with Summer Mango Salsa and Sticky Rice

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Lunch Bowls with (easy!) Tzatziki Sauce

Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Bread