It is Mothering Sunday here in the UK this weekend. A day I always looked forward to as I loved spoiling my Mum with her favourite Spring flowers – daffodils picked from the garden, and making her a homemade gift, very often something tasty from the kitchen like these delightful Spiced Tea Lemons.
As my Mum died in November 2012 this will be my second Mothers Day without her, and although I feel her loss each and every day, on this special one my heart is almost in pieces as I think back on all those Mothers Days of the past and all the smiles and ‘Oh you shouldn’t have’ when handing over gifts.
I thought of Mum when I came up with this recipe for Spiced Tea Lemons. You see my Mum was an avid tea drinker, a Tea Jenny as we say here in Scotland, and although she liked hers on an everyday basis just with milk, as a special treat she would make herself some lemon tea and use her favourite china. She would sweeten her lemon tea with honey and I always remember that it looked so pretty and golden in the cup.
My Spiced Tea Lemons would have made the perfect little Mothers Day gift for her. Something she could turn to for a little pick-me-up treat to add sunshine to a dull day, something sweet and tasty and with that lip-pursing lemon tang that makes your mouth water just to think of it. 
This recipe will make enough for two small jars of Spiced Tea Lemons, here’s what you’ll need;
4 unwaxed lemons (if you can’t get unwaxed ones then just give them a good scrub in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly then dry)
200g/7 oz sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod
2 star anise
2 cloves
2 black pepper corns
Water
Here’s how;
Cut the lemons to about 5mm/1/4 “ slices, you don’t want them any thinner than this or they will fall apart when cooking.
Put the lemons in a small pan and just cover with water and bring to the boil, lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.
Drain the lemons and set aside.
Make the spiced syrup by bringing 400ml/14 fl oz water and the sugar and spices to a boil for 10 minutes.
Add the drained lemon slices to the syrup, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Scoop out the lemon and put it into sterilised jars adding the star anise for decoration and topping with the spiced syrup.
Pop on the lids and store your Spiced Tea Lemons in the fridge for up to 3 weeks once opened.
To use the Spiced Tea Lemons simply place a slice of the lemon in a cup of qood quality tea and add a teaspoon of the spiced syrup to sweeten and add some zap to the brew.
This Mothers Day I shall sit quietly with a cup of my special lemon tea and raise it to my Mum with many fond memories and a wish that she were still here.
Happy Mothers Day when it comes…..
Karon x
- 4 unwaxed lemons (if you can’t get unwaxed ones then just give them a good scrub in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly then dry)
- 200g/7 oz sugar
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 2 black pepper corns
- Water
- Cut the lemons to about 5mm/1/4 “ slices, you don’t want them any thinner than this or they will fall apart when cooking.
- Put the lemons in a small pan and just cover with water and bring to the boil, lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain the lemons and set aside.
- Make the spiced syrup by bringing 400ml/14 fl oz water and the sugar and spices to a boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the drained lemon slices to the syrup, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Scoop out the lemon and put it into sterilised jars adding the star anise for decoration and topping with the spiced syrup.
- Pop on the lids and store your Spiced Tea Lemons in the fridge for up to 3 weeks once opened.
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