I’m always looking for new and convenient ways to add herbs to my diet. As you may have learned from my blog on how to make herbal salt blends, I believe it is the small daily habits that truly add up to the biggest changes in our overall health and wellness. This is one of the reasons I started making herbal ice cubes. This simple preparation is easy, fast, and offers some wonderful benefits for our hard-working bodies and minds. Simply adding a few herbal ice cubes to my water allows me to harness the power of herbs without tacking on any extra time or effort. These “instant iced tea cubes” turn a plain glass of water into flavorful tea in seconds and offer the opportunity to incrementally add extra vitamins, minerals, and functional herbs to your daily routine. 

I like to keep several varieties available in my freezer so I can mix and match. The kiddo in my life also really likes them because he thinks it is fun to add different colors and flavors to his water. Extra bonus, he is more willing to drink water!

Below are some herbs that make great concentrated infusions, especially in the summer months. You can make the cubes into blends or infuse them individually. I prefer single ingredient herbal ice cubes because I can use several different cubes to make a blend if I want, and I have more variety to choose from.

Herbs That Add Vitamins and Minerals

• Nettle Leaf
• Alfalfa
• Chickweed
• Horsetail
• Dandelion Leaf
• Raspberry Leaf
• Oatstraw

Cooling and Hydrating Herbs

• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Hibiscus
• Chamomile
• Lemon Balm
• Holy Basil

These are just a few categories to get you started, but the world is your oyster in terms of the ingredients you can use. You can make adaptogenic mushroom* cubes, immune-supportive astragalus* root cubes, and the list goes on and on. 

How to Make Instant Iced Tea Cubes

Ingredients

• 1 – 1 1/2 cup herbs of choice
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups clean filtered water

Directions

1. Fill a large jar with herb(s) of choice and label.
2. Heat water until it is just before a boil, about 180-200°F.
3. Pour hot water over herbs and place lid on.
4. Let sit on the counter for 8-12 hours.
5. Strain, being sure to press all liquid from the botanicals.
6. Pour into ice cube trays, and label if making more than one at a time.
7. Freeze completely and transfer to a storage container labeled with the herb(s) used and date made.

To Use:

Add 2-4 ice cubes to an 8-ounce glass and top with fresh, filtered water. You can adjust this ratio to suit your flavor preferences.

Pro Tips:

• If you would like to incorporate the benefits of roots or barks, you will want to decoct those ingredients rather than making the infusion described above. Then follow directions above beginning at number 4.
• For a fun twist, add freshly picked edible flowers or leaves to the cubes.
• The amount of botanicals you infuse will vary by the type of herbs. Chamomile and hibiscus flowers, for example, swell quite a bit as they absorb water, so you will want to use about a cup. Herbs like nettles and alfalfa don’t expand as much so you’ll need a larger volume of those ingredients.
• Keep in mind you are making an herbal concentrate so that it will be strong enough when added to a larger volume of water. That is to say, don’t skimp on the herbs or you’ll wind up with a very weak drink.
• Rather than composting right away, I make a second infusion with the “spent” herbs. Simply put the used herbs in a pan, cover completely with water, heat, and enjoy. If you won’t be drinking it right away, place herbs in a large glass jar, cover with water, and leave to cold brew in the refrigerator for later. Use within one or two days. 
• Some herbs should not be taken daily or over long periods of time. It's important to know your herbs and to change up your herbal combinations. This will also add more diversity to your diet. 
  
  

Looking for more ways to add herbs into your daily routine?

Try These Herbal Salt Blends!

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