The first time I made herbal ice cubes was a few years back during the early pandemic when we could only host gatherings outdoors. This was a memorable time as I decided to have my friends over and make dishes to share by using up only plants from my garden and foraging food from the forest.
The highlight of this garden party was the herbal ice cubes that contained different blossoms and made for a refreshing drink to enjoy in the warm weather and good company. It left such an impression that just this past month I had a friend recall these herbal ice cubes and the edible flowers decorating them.
Preparing Herbal Ice Cubes in Advance
One of the great parts of making herbal tea into ice cubes is that it can be prepared in advance and enjoyed when the sun is out and you have a craving for a cold drink. This makes for one of the easiest ways to incorporate a mix of beneficial herbs into our daily lives. The tea is made from a concentrated infusion and turned into ice cubes, and if you’re adding these ice cubes to a glass of herbal iced tea, they make the iced tea less diluted.
These herbal ice cubes are made from a tea blend of herbs that contain replenishing nutrients and that are both cooling and hydrating to the body. As you sip on a cool drink made from these herbal ice cubes, the subtle flavors diffuse over time as they melt and you’ll notice the different floral and earthy tastes while enjoying this summer drink.
How to Make Herbal Ice Cubes
This fun, nourishing, and easy recipe will make you want to host a party with your family and friends to serve these herbal ice cubes!
Ingredients you’ll need…
- ½ cup fresh nettle leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh yarrow leaves
- 2 tbsp dried or fresh linden flowers
- 2 tbsp dried or fresh blue mallow flowers
- Optional: honey and/or lemon juice to taste
- Mix together the fresh and/or dried herbs and add 2 cups of hot water and steep, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Once the tea has reached room temperature, you have the option to sweeten the tea with honey to your liking. It can then be poured into ice cube trays or molds to freeze. I opt to keep some of the herbs in the ice cubes for aesthetic purposes but you may choose to strain the tea instead.
- Add either a ⅓ or ½ of the ice cubes to a cup and top with 1 cup of cold water or your favorite herbal iced tea. You have the option to add a squeeze of lemon juice to bring some tartness to the drink. Enjoy!
Yield: 2–3 cups
The Benefits of Blue Mallow Flower (Malva sylvestris)
Blue Mallow Flower is a cooling demulcent with a rich purple-blue hue. It contains 10% mucilage, which is able to soothe inflamed tissues both internally and externally. Blue mallow flower has a specific use in supporting conditions of the respiratory tract, such as bronchitis, dry coughs, and inflammation of the pharynx. As a demulcent, it can also support the healing of gastric ulcers, gastroenteritis, and bladder issues such as urinary tract infections.
The Benefits of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow is associated with wound healing and has a rightful place as a herb used during summertime heat. It is a febrifuge, which means it can regulate body temperature by cooling down the body during high temperatures. It is also an astringent plant that has been used as a hemostatic to stop bleeding and support the healing of bruises and wounds.
The Benefits of Linden Flowers (Tilia spp.,)
Linden flowers makes for a delightfully tasty choice for an iced tea drink. It is a calming herb with dual actions on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. It can relieve nervous tension and irritation when one is feeling more “heated” during the summer months. Linden is also a demuclent, which means it can help soothe irritated tissues in the respiratory tract — this, coupled with its calming effects, make it an important ally not only during hot summer months but also during wildfires.
The Benefits of Nettle (Urtica Dioica)
Nettle is as nutritious as it gets, making it akin to a natural electrolyte. The herb contains the minerals zinc, iron, potassium, and vitamins A and C as well as amino acids. These micronutrients are essential when electrolytes are depleted from the body due to sweating during warmer days and when engaging in physical activity. Nettle has overall supportive actions on the entire body, acting as an anti-inflammatory and supporting allergy relief, preventing hypertension, acting as a kidney tonic, and building healthy tissues in the body.
Here are some common questions about how to make herbal ice cubes…
Can the ice cubes be topped with something other than plain water?
Yes, you can use an herbal tea, sparkling water, juices or you could even try experimenting with different types of nut milk.
What other herbs can be used in this herbal ice cube recipe?
There are so many different types of herbs you could use to make herbal ice cubes! Some suggestions of other herbs that you could use include hibiscus, elderflower, lavender, and lemon balm. You could even add fruit into the ice cubes, such as raspberries and oranges.
What if I only have the dried form of the fresh herbs included in this recipe?
If you only have the dried form of the fresh herbs in this recipe then you can halve the proportions for the dried herb substitute. For example, instead of ½ cup of fresh nettle, you can use ¼ cup of the dried herb.
How long should the ice cubes be stored in the freezer?
If you are storing the herbal ice cubes in the ice cube trays, I suggest using them within two weeks to prevent freezer burn, which would lend the ice cubes a stale flavor. If you’d like to store the ice cubes for longer, you can remove them from the ice trays and store them in a sealed container or freezer bag within your freezer.
Does this drink contain caffeine?
This herbal drink is caffeine-free but you may opt to add caffeine-containing teas such as green tea or black tea.
Does the added water need to be cold?
If you’d prefer to enjoy this herbal drink warm, you could also decide to add boiled water to the ice cubes instead to get an instant lukewarm tea.
Can the ice cubes have other uses?
Some people have creatively used herbal ice cubes as part of a skincare routine, such as rubbing the ice over one’s face to get the benefits of improving blood circulation and reducing inflammation (if you do try this, do use caution so as to not damage or cause frostbite with direct application of the ice onto the face).
Thank you for providing ways to flavor ice cubes using various herbs that provide micronutrients as well as flavoring for beverages. I really like the idea of using these herbs in ice cubes. Eager to try these recipes for infused ice cubes.
So beautiful! And great way to add nutrients in.