Sip & Steep: Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

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Sip & Steep - Butterfly Pea Flower Tea



A good read, a comfy seat and a cup full of something delicious. Nothing goes better with a library book than a good cup of tea. With all of us trying to stay home, what better time to learn a new recipe! Butterfly Pea Flower Tea is an instant icon for that unforgettable blue color and airy floral flavor. Drink it for the medicinal properties or add citrus for some simple magic.  


This tea is not a true tea from the tea tree, but an herbal concoction made from the dried petals of the pea flower. When steeped they create a deep indigo drink that can lower anxiety, promote graceful aging and suppress appetite. But that’s not half as impressive as the chameleon effect of adding a citrus fruit or lemonade to your beverage.  


The magic of the color change is actually a science experiment. Add something acidic to your tea and watch the color shift from deep blue to electric violet. This is made possible by the relatively neutral pH of the tea. To make the drink purple, add something with a lower pH like lime, lemon or grapefruit. You can also raise the pH with spices like saffron to create a neon green tea.  


If you are interested in trying this tea at home, you can find Pea Flower Tea at your local tea shop or online. We used the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea from Harney & Sons since they dry the whole flowers with no additional fillers. As a general rule, you will use one teaspoon of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea for every cup of water. In a large cold pitcher, we recommend using more tea during steeping, since ice may dilute the final drink.  


Recipe for Iced Magic Blue Tea:


Ingredients

  • 4-5 Tablespoons of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea 
  • 4 cups boiling water 
  • 2 cups cold water 
  • 2 cups ice cubes 
  • Citrus Fruit or Lemonade 
  • Sweeteners (optional) 

Instructions

  1. Boil 4 cups of water 
  2. Steep tea in container for 5 minutes, stir the flowers when water is first added to help them bloom. 
  3. Remove tea flowers 
  4. Pour hot tea over 2 cups of cool water to dilute and cool. 
  5. Add 1-2 cups of Ice  
  6. Add sweetener to taste 

Bonus: For purple color-change, add lemonade, lemon slices, lime or grapefruit.  


Here are some additional guidelines to make hot tea or a smaller batch: 

For 8 oz hot tea:  

  • 1-2 teaspoons of tea 
  • 8 oz of hot water 

For 12 oz iced tea:  

  • 3-4 teaspoons of tea 
  • 8 oz of hot water 
  • 4 oz of ice cubes 

For 24 oz iced pitcher: 

  • 1-2 Tablespoons of tea 
  • 1 cup of hot water 
  • 1 cup of cold water 
  • 1 cup of ice cubes 

 Links and Further Reading: 

Harney & Sons Butterfly Pea Flower Tea  - The tea we used in this video!

Majestic Herbs - Health Info and Facts about Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

Oh How Civilized - Recipes & Info

Bon Appetit- Details on the Color Change 


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