Peach and Strawberry Iced Tea

Place the tea and the lemon verbena leaves, if using, in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string.

Place in a large saucepan with all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes until the fruit has reduced to a soft pulp and the tea is strong enough. If the fruit hasn’t cooked down fully, but the tea is at the right strength, remove the cheesecloth sachet and continue simmering until the fruit is fully cooked.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large jar.

To serve: Put a couple of ice cubes in each glass, fill ¾ full with tea and top up with ginger beer. Makes 3½ litres

* If dried verbena leaves prove hard to find, leave them out. The tea will still be delicious. Leaving the skins on the peaches will give the tea a beautiful red hue.