Celebrate Canada Day with Herbal Iced Tea Cubes & Our Summer Limited Editions

Celebrate Canada Day with Herbal Iced Tea Cubes & Our Summer Limited Editions

Pull Up a Chair 🍁

Canada Day on a Wednesday. Right in the middle of the week, like it couldn't be bothered to cooperate. No long weekend. No lazy Sunday sleep-in before the festivities. Just… Tuesday, then fireworks, then back to your desk on Thursday like nothing happened.

It's a bit of a bugger, honestly. We'll say it.

But here's the thing about a Wednesday holiday — it forces you to actually stop. You can't tack it onto a weekend and fill it with errands. It just sits there, right in the middle of everything, asking you to be present. To slow down. To pour something good and actually taste it.

So come sit with us for a minute. We've got our summer lineup ready, a couple of old favourites back on the shelf where they belong, and a recipe we want to share — the kind you write on a scrap of paper and tuck into a drawer for next year.

And if you've got little ones running around this holiday — grandkids, nieces, nephews, the neighbour's kids who never seem to go home — this one's for them too. Drop a couple of herbal tea cubes into a glass of bubbly water and watch what happens. The cubes melt slowly, bleeding colour into the fizz, the bubbles catching and rising around them. It's mesmerizing. Kids will stand there and watch it like it's the best thing they've ever seen — and while they're distracted, they're drinking. Hydrated, nourished, and in total comfortable bliss. No sugar, no fuss. Just good plants doing their quiet work.

🌿 What's on the Table This Summer

The blends we know. The ones that sip slowly and taste like summer — cool and bright, with that gentle tingle that spreads out from your belly like warmth through your tissues. Like sitting under a fruit tree in dappled shade as a child, juice running down your chin, not a care in the world. That's what we're reaching for. That's what these are.

Some are new faces; some are old friends who only visit in summer. All of them are small-batch, made with care, and gone when they're gone. Don't wait on these ones.

🌺 Hibiscus Lemonade Kit (New)

You know how we did the stinging nettle pasta kits in early spring — simple, nourishing, a little bit magic, everything in one package? This is that, but for summer. The Hibiscus Lemonade Kit is a make-your-own botanical syrup kit. Everything is in the jar. You just add sugar, a little heat, and a little time, and what you get is a deep ruby hibiscus syrup that turns any glass of water or sparkling water into something worth photographing.

Picture it: a tall glass already holding a slow purée of fresh peaches and honey infused with rosemary — golden, fragrant, waiting. Then you add the hibiscus. It drips down the inside of the glass in a slow ruby ribbon, blooming into the peach, swirling before it settles. The condensation is already forming on the outside. You haven't even stirred it yet and it's already the most beautiful thing on the table. That's your Instagram moment. That's the fancy that drips down the side of the cup.

Simple. Easy. Nutritious. Delicious. That's always been the idea.

[Shop the Hibiscus Lemonade Kit →]

P.S. — If you missed the stinging nettle pasta kits this spring, we still have a couple tucked in the back. Send us a note if you want one before they're truly gone.

💜 Hibiscus Lavender Lemonade (New — Limited Edition)

Oh, this one. Hibiscus and lavender together are the kind of combination that makes you close your eyes on the first sip. Calming, floral, a little celebratory. We made it for long evenings on the porch and slow midweek afternoons — which, as it happens, is exactly what this Canada Day calls for. A small glass before bed works wonders for little ones who are overtired and overstimulated from a big holiday.

[Shop Hibiscus Lavender Lemonade →]

☀️ Summer Solstice Splash (Returning Favourite — Back Until August)

This one comes back every summer because some things are worth returning to. Hibiscus brings its bright tartness and deep colour, rich in antioxidants and naturally cooling to the body. Lemon balm is a gentle nervine — softly uplifting, easing tension, and wonderfully kind to the digestive system. Raspberry leaf is quietly mineral-rich, deeply nourishing to tissues from the inside out. Marshmallow leaf lives up to its name — softening, moistening, coating and soothing wherever dryness has taken hold, whether that's a parched throat on a hot day or tissues that need a little tending after too much sun.

(Admittedly, too much sun hasn't exactly been this year's problem. It's been a wet one. But marshmallow leaf is just as lovely for tissues that have been rained on repeatedly and are quietly wondering what happened to July. It tends. That's what it does.)

Red clover brings its gentle cleansing energy, and lemongrass lifts the whole blend with a clean, citrusy brightness that makes it as refreshing cold as it is warming hot. Together they make something subtly flavourful and quietly powerful — a blend that hydrates from the inside, soothes as it goes down, and leaves you feeling genuinely nourished rather than just quenched. Beautiful over ice. Lovely before bed. Good for the grandkids and good for you.

[Shop Summer Solstice Splash →]

🫐 Berry Sun Tea (Returning Favourite — Back Until August)

This is the one you make a big jar of and leave in the sun — on the days when the sun actually shows up. Hibiscus, goji berry, mulberry, schisandra, elderberry, peppermint, spearmint, lemon peel — it's rich and berry-forward and practically begs to be poured over ice. The colour alone will have the kids crowding around the counter.

And here's the part we love most: when you're done steeping, don't you dare throw those spent berries away. They've given you their best, but they've still got plenty left to give.

Turn them into popsicles: Blend the spent herbs with a little honey and fresh fruit — peach, strawberry, whatever's ripe — pour into moulds, and freeze. The kids will be back at the counter before you've even put the blender away.

Or make a compote: Simmer the spent berries with a splash of water and a half cup of sugar until they soften and the liquid thickens into something glossy and jammy. Spoon it warm over crepes on Canada Day morning. It's the kind of breakfast that makes a Wednesday feel like a celebration.

Nothing wasted. Everything used. That's the way it should be.

[Shop Berry Sun Tea →]

The Ones That Are Good Any Which Way

These are our year-round blends that happen to shine just as bright over ice as they do in a warm mug. All of them make wonderful iced tea cubes — which brings us to the recipe.

How to Make Herbal Iced Tea Cubes

This is one of those recipes that sounds fancier than it is. Once you make your first batch, you'll wonder how you ever got through summer without them. The idea is simple: brew a strong herbal concentrate, freeze it into cubes, and then you've got instant botanical refreshment whenever you want it. Drop a few cubes in a glass, top with cold water or sparkling water, and you're done.

It's the kind of thing you'd learn standing at someone's kitchen counter, watching them move around without measuring anything. We'll give you the measurements anyway — but know that this is a forgiving recipe. Trust your nose.

And if you want to get the grandkids involved? Let them. They can help press the herbs through the strainer, pour the liquid into the trays, and tuck a flower into each cube. Little hands love a job with a visible result — and they'll drink twice as much water if they made it themselves. Drop the finished cubes into a glass of bubbly water and hand it over. Watch them watch the cubes melt. That's the whole afternoon sorted.

What You'll Need

  • 1 – 1½ cups herbs of choice
  • 2 – 2½ cups clean filtered water

Here's What You Do

  1. Fill a large jar with your herbs and give it a label — you'll thank yourself later.
  2. Heat your water until it's just before a boil, around 180–200°F. Not a rolling boil — just shy of it.
  3. Pour the hot water over the herbs and put the lid on.
  4. Leave it on the counter for 8–12 hours. Go to bed. Let it do its thing.
  5. Strain it well, pressing every last drop out of the botanicals.
  6. Pour into ice cube trays. Label them if you're making more than one blend — they all look the same once frozen.
  7. Freeze completely, then transfer to a labelled storage container with the herb name and date.

To Use

Drop 2–4 cubes into an 8-ounce glass and top with fresh cold water or sparkling water. Watch the colour bloom. Taste and adjust — more cubes for stronger, more water for lighter. For little ones, start with just 1–2 cubes and plenty of water — gentle and refreshing without being too strong.

Want to make it a grown-up moment? Start with a slow pourée of peach and rosemary honey in the bottom of the glass. Add your hibiscus cubes. Top with sparkling water and let it all find each other. Don't rush it. That drip down the side of the glass? That's the one for Instagram.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

  • Roots and barks are different: If you want to use roots or barks — think dandelion root, cinnamon, or valerian — you'll need to decoct them first (simmer in water rather than steep). Then pick up the recipe at step 4.
  • Make it pretty: Tuck a fresh edible flower or a sprig of mint into each cube before freezing. The kids will love choosing which flower goes in which tray.
  • Herbs aren't all the same volume: Chamomile and hibiscus puff up as they absorb water, so a cup goes a long way. Nettles and alfalfa don't expand much — you'll need more of those. Use your judgment.
  • Don't be shy with the herbs: You're making a concentrate. If you skimp, you'll end up with very weak tea once it's diluted. Be generous.
  • Don't throw out the spent herbs: Cover them with fresh water, heat gently, and you've got a second infusion. Or cold brew them in the fridge overnight. Use within a day or two. And if you used Berry Sun Tea — see above about the popsicles and the crepe compote. You're welcome.
  • Rotate what you're drinking: Some herbs aren't meant to be taken every single day or over long stretches. Get to know your plants, and mix things up. Your body — and your palate — will be better for it. This goes for little ones too — variety is nourishment in itself.

From our kitchen table to yours — happy Canada Day, Wednesday and all. Pour something good, keep the little ones cool, and stay a while. 🍁

— Sara Kate and Lanowar 

The Sensus Naturae Family

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