When it’s hot and sticky, we naturally turn to enjoy refreshing frozen treats. This is the season of ice cream and popsicles. Fortunately, many of our tea friends have developed ways to ensure that these frozen favorites can also incorporate wonderful tea ingredients.
Jesse Jacobs from Samovar Tea Lounge provides an excellent primer on creating the perfect tea base for making popsicles, granitas and tea ice cubes that won’t dilute your drink. He advises that your tea should be made to double strength and to use extra sweetener because the freezing process will diminish much of the sweetness.
There are great tea popsicle recipes online. Check out the Mango Green Tea Pops from the Minimalist Baker which include mango, matcha, agave and coconut milk. For an even creamier matcha treat, try making these Matcha Mousse Pops with heavy whipping cream and yogurt.
For a fruitier flavor, try these Watermelon Sweet Tea Popsicles. Even Alton Brown got into the act with a recipe for Thai Tea Popsicles.
Making tea ice cream is another wonderful option. There are rich, custard-based matcha green tea ice cream recipes. This amazing chai ice cream recipe from Serious Eats uses all fresh spices and loose leaf black tea. When experimenting with tea ice cream recipes, learning to infuse your base with tea is an important step. Ice Cream Nation offers some great tips in their Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream recipe.
If you don’t have the patience to make your own, check your grocery store for products like Deebee’s Organic Teapops or Tea*rrific Ice Cream.