Don't Toss Those Lemon Rinds — Use Them To Steep Tea For Extra-Bold Flavor
Tea and lemon are a classic and enduringly popular combination. Western tea drinkers have been enjoying it since tea was first brought to Europe, though Russia had been pairing tea with lemon long before. When we think of tea and lemon, we might summon images of traditional English breakfast tea with a slice of lemon floating in the teacup itself, or more modern teabags with the flavor of lemon already infused. But there is another way of getting the unmistakable, zesty taste of lemon into a steaming cup of freshly brewed tea, and it has the advantage of being thrifty: By using a lemon rind to decant loose-leaf tea.
Imagine you sliced a lemon in half for some other purpose — perhaps you've just prepared a vinaigrette for salad, or squeezed some fresh lemon juice onto some crispy homemade chicken tenders — and so you are left with one largely juiceless half of a lemon. Instead of throwing it in the garbage or compost, reserve it, and you'll find this rind quite useful. What to do next is demonstrated well in a TikTok video from the Jeff & Lauren Show (@jeffandlaurenshow).
@jeffandlaurenshow Use a lemon peel to steep loose leaf tea! 🍋 #tea #lemon #teatime
Whether your lemon half has been squeezed or not, scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving you with a bowl-like rind. Poke holes in the rind with a skewer, cocktail stick, or some other tool capable of puncturing small holes. Balance this over a mug or teacup with an appropriately sized brim (too wide, and the rind will fall in), and add a spoonful of your preferred loose-leaf tea. Slowly pour boiling water over the tea, being careful not to let it overflow. The tea that drips down into your cup will have an exquisite lemon flavor.
Getting the most out of your rinds
This quick and easy method to make lemon tea is just one way to use lemon peels. With summer nearing, many look forward to a cooling glass of sweetened iced tea on a hot day, which is virtually unimaginable without the addition of some lemon slices bobbing in the reddish-golden thirst-quencher. If you're itching to brew up your first batch of the year, remember our advice that black tea makes the best iced tea, and if you are indulging in an iced tea cocktail, the hot brewing method is absolutely crucial.
When it comes to lemon rinds, on the other hand, there are many imaginative ways you can utilize them, so it would be well worth consulting our list of clever uses for leftover lemon peel, which range from cleaning your microwave to repelling spiders, whipping up flavored ice cubes, and infusing olive oil. However you use or combine them, you can assure yourself that both tea and lemons come with their own health benefits, as lemon is an excellent source of vitamin C, while the amount of the chemical compounds polyphenols or flavonoids in tea act as antioxidants.