Ingredients

• Kettle
• Water (for boiling)
• Strawberries
• Strawberry leaves
• Tea bag (optional)
• Tea cup

Directions
1 Fill the kettle with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil, then pour some into your teacup or teapot to warm it up.

2 Discard the water.

3 Place four slices of strawberry fruit and a pinch of strawberry leaves and stems into a tea bag or teapot. Pour the boiled water (which should be between 176 to 185°F/80 to 85°C) over the tea and cover with a saucer or a lid. Allow the tea to steep for three minutes.

4 Remove the tea bag or pour the tea from the teapot using a tea strainer and savor the delicious sweet strawberry taste. You can place a straw­berry flower or one slice of fruit in the cup to serve. The tea has a beautiful pale pink color.

For cold tea

1 Put the fresh fruit and leaves into a mason jar or a jug and fill with cold water. Increase the quantity of fruit and leaves according to the size of your container; I use six strawberries, two leaves, and about 1 quart (1 liter) of water.

2 Cover the jar or jug with a lid to stop in­ sects from flying in.

3 Place outside in direct sunlight for about five hours, depending on the sun's intensity. The warmth of the sun will bring out the flavor of the fruit.

4 Strain through a jelly bag or fine-mesh sieve into a jug, and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with ice cubes that have strawberries fro­ zen inside and a few strawberry flowers sprinkled on the top. This is an impressive and refreshing summer tea.

Tips
1 Strawberries and mint have al­ways been great partners. Pre­pare as before, adding a sprig of fresh mint leaves to the cup of strawberry tea. You can leave the mint leaves in the cup as you drink.

2 Blend strawberry with hyssop for an antioxidant-boosting tea. Put two or three slices of straw­berry, a small pinch of strawber­ry leaves, and a pinch of hyssop leaves into a tea bag or teapot and steep as before.

Note: Strawberries can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
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Excerpted from Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting and Blending Teas and Tisanes by Cassie Liversidge. Recipes Copyright © 2014 Cassie Liversidge. Photography copyright © Cassie Liversidge. Excerpted by permission of Cassie Liversidge and St. Martins Griffin. All Rights Reserved.