According to the Honey Mesquite trees in the DFW area, Spring has arrived. Old timers tell us that once those prickly mesquites start putting out leaves, the last danger of frost has passed, and it is safe to begin your gardening ventures. Long before the mesquites awake however, the wild plums and redbuds began putting on a show. Those plum blossoms are fading, but the redbuds are just getting started with their riotous showing.
One of my favorite ways to welcome spring is to forage some of those beautiful, vibrant redbud blooms. I collect them in a half gallon mason jar and give them a good rinse (sometimes when I am feeling lazy I admit, I skip this step) before pouring fresh, boiling water over them.
The jar may look really full, but those buds really compress in that hot water, releasing their beautiful jewel tones as they go. I help them along by gently pressing them with a cocktail muddler. If you decide to give this a try, don’t be concerned with the pinkish green tint of the tea! Redbud tea is a pH indicator, meaning it changes colors in the presence of an acid (much like butterfly pea tea).
I let the flowers steep in the hot water until their color has faded, then I strain the liquid into a measuring cup to remove the flowers and debris (this material goes into my compost to help feed my garden). Once it’s strained, I let the tea cool to room temperature, then I chill it and make some of it into a gorgeous pink lemonade. Pictured is a small portion of the strained tea before chilling.
This part is where the magic happens! Once I have my simple syrup ready to go (this is just equal parts white sugar to water. You can use raw sugar or other sweeteners as well, but white sugar will allow those gorgeous colors to really pop), I mix up my lemonade to the sweetness I desire, then add some redbud tea. Here’s a picture of the tea side-by-side with the lemonade, for that dramatic color comparison.
Enjoy!
For a more adult refreshment, redbud tea makes a beautiful French 75, or aperol spritz!
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