Tuesday, November 5, 2013

How to Make Apple Tea

If you eat apples in any form, you have probably thrown away some apple peel. Even if you eat the peeling, as you should, there is a little left over at the top and bottom of the core, and if you make apple pie from fresh apples, well... there are the peelings.

Keep them. Put them in a plastic bag in the freezer until you have enough, then make apple tea.

How much is "enough"? About a cup of apple peel will make a cup of tea.

Why should you go to the trouble of making tea from apple peeling? It's detoxifying and it tastes really good. You can drink it iced or hot, it's safe for kids, it's all around healthy for anyone, and it's free.

How do you make it? I thought you'd never ask.

Put the cup (or however much you want to make) of apple peel in a jar or glass pitcher and add one cup of water. Put the container in the oven and heat it to the lowest temperature, around 150 - 175. You can also just set it in the sun for awhile if it's not freezing outside - any way to warm it. Stir it once or twice while it's warming, then after it's warmed completely, set it on the counter and let it cool. Strain the peels out and add a few (very few) grains of salt to help bring out the flavor. Add sweetener at this point if you want it, then all you have to do is decide whether to add ice or heat it up to drink.

(Frugal note: Make apple peel tea when you're baking and take advantage of your stove's oven vent, usually a back burner. You might want to use a stainless steel container, just in case, if you put it on a burner.)

image source morguefile.com