WHAT’S BREWING

This is a fun iced tea, made with vivid blue butterfly pea flower, a dried flower grown in tropical climates. The flowers contain a pigment called anthocyanin, and when you add them to hot water, the color variations range from aqua to sapphire blue, depending on the PH level in the water you use. Add some lemon juice and the tea will turn purple! Butterfly pea flowers also have health benefits, including antioxidants that improve skin elasticity, brain function, memory, reduction and more.

I pair the butterfly pea flowers with fresh mint leaves, for a refreshing minty tea, but you can experiment with other herbal varieties, such as nettle, elderflower or chamomile

Directions:

1 quart boiling water ¼ honey ¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers (you can purchase online here) Fresh mint leaves (amount depends on strength you want - I add a couple of stalks). Boil water and fill quart size canning jar. Add butterfly pea flowers in a strainer and steep for 30-60 seconds (because it does have a flavor of fresh peas, I steep for a short time for a milder flavor, until I have the depth of blue color I want). Pull out the strainer and add fresh mint leaves and leave to steep 5 minutes or so (you can also use peppermint tea bags, if you prefer). Stir honey into hot water.

Chill in refrigerator and enjoy with ice cubes, fresh mint leaves, and lemon slices, if you would like to transform the tea from blue to purple.

Photos credited to