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Our family regularly drinks herbal tea for a myriad of health benefits and especially when combating illness. Though we always want to support our bodies’ well-being, we don’t always feel like having tea, which is why we made herbal tea popsicles. These popsicles have all the healing powers of an herbal infusion in a tasty treat! I have found they are especially useful when the children are sick and we want a more potent infusion to help with recovery as well as in the summertime when popsicles are a frequent occurrence!
Combat fevers, colds, and boost your immune system with these delicious herbal fruit popsicles
Ingredients
Tea blend
Yarrow 2.5 TBSP
Elderberries 2 TBSP
Lemon Balm 2.5 TBSP
Filtered water 4.5 cups
Fruit blend
Blueberries 1 cup
Blackberries 3/4 cup
Banana 1 whole
Acerola cherry powder 3 TBSP
Strawberries 1/4 cup (optional)
Bing cherries 1/4 cup (optional)
Maple syrup 1/4 cup (optional)
Instructions
Add tea leaves and boiling water to a tea pot to steep (you can also use a pot with the tea added directly and then strain the tea out after steeping). Steep the tea for at least 4 hours or overnight to make a strong infusion. Once tea is steeped, add fruit ingredients and maple syrup to a blender, then add about 2-2.5 cups of the tea. blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth, the consistency should be like a runny smoothie. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds (I can’t find our fruit shaped ones anymore, but here is a similar one), and place in the freezer until solid (about 2 hours or so).
Notes
Feel free to guestimate the amount of herbs you use in your tea, as well as fruit, neither have to be exact. You can use any fruit you have on hand or prefer for these popsicles (frozen or fresh), like pineapple, peaches, or mango! You can also use a variety of herbs for different tastes and healing properties; try echinacea or peppermint as anti-inflammatories. We like the pairing of elderberries with blueberries/blackberries and find the stronger berry flavors helps to hide the more bitter herbs, however the blackberries can be a bit seedy. I have made the above recipe with peppermint in the tea blend as well and find it delicious with the berry flavors.
Why these ingredients?
In this particular recipe, I chose to use blueberries and blackberries for extra immune support, and to mask the more bitter flavor of yarrow (my favorite herb for combating cold/flu). The other special ingredients I chose for the following:
Acerola cherries are a superfood, extremely high in vitamin C and full of phytonutrients! The acerola powder I like to use is pure organic freeze dried acerola cherries (nothing added) from Perfect Supplements, which use an independent third party lab to test for purity.
Yarrow flowers are tiny but mighty, with incredible anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and fever-stopping powers! You can read my Herb Highlight on yarrow for a more in-depth look here.
Elderberry is a wonderful immune supporting herb; it is full of antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, and is also anti-viral and antibacterial.
Lemon balm, known for its powers against anxiety and stress, is also anti-microbial, anti-viral, and has antioxidant properties.
These plants work wonderfully to combat viruses and bacteria, while nourishing and supporting the body. Other herbs you could try for your popsicles include peppermint, elder flower, echinacea, or holy basil – each are great immune supporters with different benefits.
Enjoy eating a naturally sweetened treat knowing it’s giving your immune system a boost and working to protect you from illness. I hope this herbal popsicle recipe brings healing to your body and a smile to your face!
