June is the month of the iced tea. Nothing beats the heat like a tall glass of coolness and iced tea has the fewest calories - especially if you replace the sugar with a healthy sweetener like honey. While the classic is always great, Team YOU has put together recipes of some easy flavoured iced teas that are as much fun to make and instagram as they are to drink

The Classic 

Bring 8 cups (or 2 litres) of water to boil in a large vessel. Dip 6 tea bags and add the zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges. Let steep for 10 minutes and then remove the tea bags. Let cool to room temperature. Strain and pour into bottles to store in the fridge (for up to 3 days) or serve in glasses over ice and slices of lemon and orange. To sweeten, add honey or simple syrup to taste. To make simple syrup, heat equal amounts of water and sugar until the sugar dissolves completely. 
 
 

Hibiscus

Combine 2 litres of water, 6 teaspoons of fragrant Darjeeling tea and half a cup of dried hibiscus flowers (or a cup of tightly packed fresh ones) in a covered vessel and leave in the fridge at least 2 hours and up to 8. The longer you brew, the stronger the flavour. Strain into a tall glass, add simple syrup and a squeeze of lime, if you like.

Cucumber mint

Mix 8 cups of green tea, half a cup of peeled, seeded and pureed cucumber, one-fourth cup of finely chopped and muddled mint leaves, and one-fourth cup lime or lemon juice. Leave to chill in fridge for several hours. Strain into glasses over ice and cucumber slices. 

Ginger honey

Peel and smash 170gm ginger. Add it to 2 litres of boiling water, along with 4 teabags. Steep for 8 minutes. Strain and stir in 2-3 tablespoons honey. Cool to room temperature and serve over ice. 

Watermelon basil

Steep 8 teabags in 8 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard bags and allow tea to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, peel and cube one-eight of a large water melon. Cut the cubes into triangles and finely slice a handful of basil leaves. Stir into the cooled tea along with sugar to taste. Chill in fridge before serving over ice in glasses garnished with a basil sprig. 

Virgin Sangria

Brew a litre of tea with 2 tea bags and sugar to taste. Leave it to cool. Peel an orange. Remove the pith and put the pulp and juices in a large glass bowl or pitcher. Add an apple and a peach, peeled pitted and chopped. You can also add 4 large strawberries — hulled and halved — if you want. Pour cooled and sweetened tea over the fruits. Add a cup of purple grape juice instead of the wine traditionally added to sangria. Cover and refrigerate. This can be kept in the fridge overnight. To serve, scoop out fruits with a spoon and divide among 4 glasses. Pour the tea-sangria and top with ice cubes. Don’t forget to add a spoon to the glasses to eat the fruit cubes with!