Experts are offering lots of advice on how to remain both positive and active during isolation. Building some exercise into each day is important for keeping the body limber, while jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku will help keep the mind alert.
Others, meanwhile, are making the most of the enforced downtime to whip up bread, souffles and elaborate meals at home.
If, like me, mastering fancy cooking will forever remain out of reach, why not opt instead for something a little more simple, yet a treat the whole family can enjoy?
Quick, easy and extremely refreshing, iced tea is a perfect salve for hot days, and by throwing in some fresh fruit – even the tinned stuff – it can be made in a variety of ways. So why not use this time to perfect some new recipes?
Iced tea is traditionally served cold and very sweet, but feel free to adjust the sugar level to taste. Granular sugar should be stirred in while the water is still hot, but it can also be substituted for sugar syrup, agave nectar or honey.
All recipes call for one tea bag per person, so can be made by the glass or by the jug, and all measures are to taste.
Here are 10 recipes to try in your kitchen.
1. The classic: Simple iced tea
What you'll need: Tea bags; sugar, agave nectar, honey or sugar syrup; lemon slices to garnish
What to do: Boil the water and make black tea in a pitcher, using one tea bag per person. Add sugar (or any other sweetener) to taste. Allow to cool. Pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lemon.
2. The minty one: Mint and cucumber iced green tea
What you will need: Green tea; three small cucumbers; handful of fresh mint; four fresh limes
What to do: Make the green tea in a jug. While that stands, peel, deseed and puree the cucumbers (saving a few slices for garnish). Add the pureed cucumber, mint and the juice of the fresh limes to the tea. Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavours combine.
To serve, pour over ice and garnish with a slice of cucumber and sprig of fresh mint.
3. The peachy one: Peach puree iced tea
What you'll need: Tinned peaches; tea bags; sugar
What to do: Using the above classic recipe, make a jug of iced tea. While that is cooling down, blitz the tinned peaches in a blender. If they are in syrup, keep a little for sweetness. If not, you might need to add some sugar.
When ready to serve, add two spoonfuls of the blitzed peaches to each glass, and pour iced tea over. Mix well.
4. The fruity one: Mint and berry iced tea
What you'll need: Black, green or even peppermint tea; fresh berries of your choosing (can be frozen); fresh mint leaves
What to do: Make the tea (remembering to use one tea bag per person). Add berries to the jug while the water is still hot. Remove the tea bags and add the fresh mint and put in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavours muddle.
To serve, pour over ice, spooning some berries into each glass. Tip: Freeze into delicious lollies by adding more fruit. Remove all the mint leaves before freezing as they will go black.
5. The milky one: Matcha latte
What you'll need: Matcha powder; milk or vegan milk of your choice; jam jars
What to do: Add one teaspoon of matcha powder to each jar, and mix into a paste with a little cold water. Fill the jar two-thirds full with your milk of choice (oat milk works very well). Put the lid on the jar and shake to make the top frothy, then top up with ice and serve.
6. The lemony one: Lemongrass cooler
What you'll need: Green tea or oolong tea (such as Earl Grey); fresh lemongrass; sugar; kalamansi juice (if you cannot find this fruit, substitute with one part fresh orange juice and three parts lemon juice)
What to do: Steep a stalk of lemongrass in hot water, crushing it slightly to release the flavours. Make a jug of green tea or oolong. When both are chilled, add the lemongrass water to the tea and add one teaspoon of kalamansi (or the substitute). Add sugar to taste, then pour over ice and serve.
7. The one with basil: Lemon basil iced tea
What you'll need: Green tea; one fresh lemon; fresh basil leaves; honey
What to do: Make green tea in a jug, adding fresh basil, slices of lemon and honey to taste. Let it stand for 15 minutes and then remove the tea bags. When cool, put in the fridge for three to four hours to let the flavours release.
To serve, pour over ice and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
8. The rose one: Rosewater cooler
What you'll need: Black tea; dried rosebuds; mild honey; rosewater
What to do: Brew the teabags and rosebuds in boiling water for five minutes. Strain and stir in honey to taste. Chill the mixture for about three hours to let the flavours combine.
To serve, pour over ice, add one teaspoon of rosewater per glass and stir.
9. The lime one: Earl Grey cooler
What you'll need: Earl Grey tea; lime cordial; fresh limes
What to do: Make the black tea in a jug and allow to cool. When ready to serve, pour a splash of lime cordial into each glass over ice, and add cold tea. Squeeze in half a fresh lime and a slice of lime to garnish. Mix well.
10. The one with pomegranate: Pomegranate and lime iced tea
What you'll need: Tea bag of choice; two cups pomegranate juice; three limes, thinly sliced; sugar.
What to do: Make the tea, let it stand for 10 minutes then remove the tea bags. When cool, add the pomegranate juice, slices of limes and sugar (to taste). To serve, pour over ice.
