Nitrate & Nitrite Free Ginger Lemon Iced Tea
Iced tea sounds simple enough, but bottled and canned versions are often loaded with preservatives and additives you'd rather not think about. This homemade version keeps things beautifully clean — just water, black tea, fresh ginger, maple syrup, and real lemon juice, nothing more. The ginger gets simmered low and slow until the water turns fragrant and golden, giving the whole drink a warm, spicy backbone that balances perfectly with the bright citrus finish. Maple syrup steps in as a naturally derived sweetener that dissolves smoothly into the brew, no refined syrups or questionable additives required. The result is a refreshing, layered iced tea that tastes like something from a fancy café but comes together entirely in your own kitchen. Poured over ice and garnished with lemon slices and fresh mint, it's the kind of drink that makes a regular afternoon feel like a little occasion.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tea
- 6 cup water
- 4 black tea bags
- 1 oz fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine 4 cups water and the sliced ginger in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the water is fragrant and lightly golden.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 4 minutes, then remove and discard the tea bags.
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