Since working for H. R. Higgins, I feel like I am on a journey of discovery every single day!

Having naively made the bold statement that "I don't like fruit teas", David Higgins made me a cup of Higgins Spring Tea. I was blown away with the subtlety of the flavours and how they delicately enhanced the tea.

My preconceptions of Fruit Flavoured Teas have come from previous poor experiences. Many times I have been presented with a cup full of the aromas of promise but sadly not delivering on flavour. I am now discovering that I actually love fruit tea, providing it is made the Higgins way

What is Spring Tea?

Our Spring Tea is a blend of smooth black China tea with raspberry, blackcurrant and elderberry flavours, juniper berries, heather blossoms, nettle leaves, and blueberries for a fruity and zesty infusion.

Not only is this tea soft and refreshing, it's ingredients can provide a multitude health benefits which are perfect for this time of year. So I decided to do a little more research into our Spring tea and found it to be a powerhouse of antioxidants and immune boosting ingredients!

The Benefits of Spring Tea

Being from Swedish descent, the tradition of eating seasonally and foraging as a part of daily life has always fascinated me. With the extreme seasons encountered, there really is no choice other than to make the most of the warmer weather, preserving food for the winter months.

Spring is a time to pick nettles for cordials, teas and even soups. Nettles are brilliant for boosting the immune system and have been proven to help with allergies. With Hayfever season on the doorstep, nettles are great to prepare the body, with the many antioxidants and anti inflammatory benefits.

Another ingredient of our Spring Tea is juniper berries. Like all berries, they are packed full of Vitamin C which is essential for immune health, collagen synthesis, and blood vessel function. Vitamin C also acts as a strong antioxidant, protecting your cells from damage caused by free radicals. 

How to Enjoy Spring Tea

Our Spring Tea is delicious brewed hot. But with the weather warming, what could be more refreshing than a delicious glass of iced tea. Iced tea is a brilliantly healthy way to hydrate and means that you can enjoy your Higgins favourites even through the hot summer months. So here is my recipe for Iced Tea.

Iced Spring Tea Recipe

You will need:

Spring Tea (Or your Higgins tea of choice)

Kettle

Teapot

Honey, Sugar or Agave for Sweetening

Ice

Fruit to Garnish

Method:

Fill your kettle with cold water and set to boil.

Add your tea to your teapot - I used the 450ml Hario ChaCha Kyusu Maru Glass Teapot and prepared my tea as normal with 3 teaspoons of Spring Tea in the pot. Our recommended ratio is one level teaspoon of tea for every 150ml of water.

I brewed the tea for three and half minutes at 100 degrees and then removed the basket to avoid over brewing. If you do not have a removable basket for your pot, simply strain the brewed tea into a jug.

Whilst the tea is hot, add your sweetener and stir until it has completely dissolved into the tea. You can sweeten your iced tea with anything you would like. I add three teaspoons of local honey for 450ml of tea.

As a hayfever sufferer, I use locally produced honey. This is a traditional way to help prevent the effects of hayfever. The belief is that because local honey contains traces of local pollen, eating it regularly could help you achieve immunity to that pollen and in turn ease the hayfever symptoms of sneezing and itchy eyes. This theory has opposing thoughts with many claim that it is just a placebo.

Leave the tea to cool and then pop in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Serving:

To serve add ice to your glass and pour over your cooled tea.

For extra zing (and more antioxidants) I add fresh raspberries to garnish.

Enjoy!

Ann Louise Roswald