Life is busy, we all need to focus on slowing down and enjoying it. As I get older, I’m realizing that I don’t have to be busy every moment of the day. That when The Texan asks what I did all day, it’s okay to say “I didn’t do anything, really. Except for relax.” On those days, there’s a good chance that I’ve whipped up a few batches of simple syrup and spent the better part of my day sipping on iced tea in the yard.
And that is a perfectly fine way to spend a few hours.
To make iced tea the way my grandmother used to make it, you add cold water to a glass jar and put the Bigelow® tea bags in. Give it a shake {please don’t ask me why, I’m not sure!} and let it steep in the glorious sunlight for three to four hours.
I like to use the Bigelow brand of tea bags because they use a special foil pouch which protects the tea from air, moisture and surrounding aromas. The company is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Did you know that Bigelow began in a New York City townhouse, where Ruth Campbell Bigelow developed the iconic “Constant Comment”® tea? The company has expanded to a worldwide market offering more than 130 varieties of flavored, green, organic, herbal, decaffeinated and iced teas.
While the tea is doing it’s thing, it’s time to head inside to the kitchen for the fun part: making the simple syrups.
Blueberry Simple Syrup Recipe
I started by making a blueberry simple syrup using fresh local blueberries.
Add one cup of water, one cup of granulated sugar, a splash of lemon juice and one cup of fresh blueberries to a small saucepan. Set heat to medium and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to simmer for 12 – 15 minutes.
Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a mason jar and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. I love blueberry simple syrup with Bigelow® English Teatime® tea.
Making simple syrup is so easy, I couldn’t stop with one. For my next syrup, I grabbed a fresh mango. Mango simple syrup pairs well with Bigelow® Green Tea.
Mango Simple Syrup Recipe
Start by peeling and cutting up the mango. Add it to the jar of your blender with a splash of orange mango juice {or lemon juice} and whirl it around. You want to puree it until smooth.
Add one cup of water, one cup of granulated sugar, and the mango puree to a small saucepan. Set heat to medium and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat and simmer 12 – 15 minutes.
Pour into a mason jar and let cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator.
Watermelon Jalapeno Simple Syrup Recipe
When I think of iced tea, I want it to be refreshing and thirst quenching. Trust me when I tell you that this watermelon jalapeño simple syrup has just enough heat balanced with the right amount of sweetness to satisfy anyone’s thirst!
This simple syrup is a bit more complex to make, but equally as rewarding when served with either of the Bigelow® iced teas that I prepared.
Start by making a pure simple syrup recipe: just one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add a seeded jalapeño. Allow the jalapeño to steep for about three minutes.
While you’re waiting, chop two cups of watermelon and add it to the cup of your blender. Remove the jalapeño from the simple syrup and pour 1/2 cup of the syrup over the watermelon.
Blend until smooth. pour into a mason jar and let cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
These simple syrups are amazingly simple to make, yet deliver such complex and full flavors you’ll wonder why it took you so long to make them!
The next time it’s a sunny day, take a few minutes for yourself. Go outside, sit in your adirondack chair and enjoy some freshly brewed Bigelow iced tea with your favorite flavor simple syrup.
Bigelow Tea is All American: 100% American made by an American Family; and you can find at Walmart, an American retailer. Bigelow Tea has sent nearly 4 million tea bags to our troops overseas, learn more at Tea for Troops.
Be sure to check out more Bigelow Tea flavors and brand history at bigelowtea.com. I’d love to hear your favorite flavor or memories with iced tea!
These recipes all look so great, how could you decide which one to use first? [client]
I’ll confess…I’ve mixed the blueberry with the mango (delicious!) and the blueberry with the watermelon-jalapeno (delicious, too!).
They all sound amazing. I never thought to make a syrup with fruity flavors. I love to make iced peach tea but I use a black tea and peach tea bag.