Apple Cardamom Tea

Tanya Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A low histamine apple cardamom tea with fresh sliced apple, green cardamom pods, water, and maple syrup.

Prep 5 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 2

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1 medium apple, cored and cut into thin slices with the peel left on
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 3 cups water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Apple and Pods

1. Wash the apple well and cut out the core, but leave the peel on. Most of the color and a good deal of the flavor sit in the skin.
2. Cut the apple into thin slices, about the thickness of a coin. Thin slices give up their flavor to the water much faster than chunks.
3. Press each cardamom pod under the flat of a knife until the green husk cracks and you can see the black seeds inside. Leave the pods whole after cracking so they are easy to strain out.

Simmer, Do Not Steep

1. Put the apple slices, the cracked pods, and the 3 cups of water into a small pot.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn it down to a low simmer.
3. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes. A simmer pulls far more from the fruit than pouring hot water over it, and the slices need that time to soften and sweeten the water.
4. The tea is ready when the liquid has taken on a pale gold color and the apple slices have gone soft and translucent at the edges.

Strain and Sweeten

1. Pour the tea through a fine mesh sieve into two mugs, pressing gently on the apple slices with the back of a spoon to get the last of the liquid.
2. Stir in the maple syrup, if using. Taste first, because a ripe apple often makes this sweet enough on its own.
3. Drink while hot.

Tips & Substitutions

• No cinnamon by design. Cardamom is what makes this taste like the spiced apple drink people expect in autumn. Cinnamon is a trigger for some people with histamine intolerance, so it is left out and cardamom carries the spice; if you already know it sits fine for you, add it.
• Use green pods, not ground cardamom. Ground cardamom clouds the tea and slips through a sieve. Whole green pods, cracked open, give a cleaner cup and are easy to fish out.
• A sweeter apple means less maple. A ripe Gala or Fuji apple carries the drink on its own. A tart Granny Smith gives a sharper tea that usually wants the full 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.
• Add a slice of fresh ginger. One thin slice in the pot gives the tea some heat at the back. It plays the same role that ginger plays in a golden turmeric latte.
• Skip dried apple. Dried fruit is flagged on most low histamine lists, and it also brings a concentrated, sugary flavor that does not read as fresh fruit. Use a whole apple you would eat.
• Eat the simmered slices. The strained apple slices are soft and mildly spiced. Stir them into a bowl of rice porridge rather than throwing them out.

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Why This Works

Fresh apple. Generally considered low histamine and one of the fruits most often kept on low histamine lists. Simmering pulls the sugars and the apple flavor into the water without adding any juice or concentrate. Tolerance varies, and dried apple is flagged where fresh is not.

Green cardamom. Commonly tolerated and rated low on the main compatibility lists, with a floral, faintly citrusy flavor that fills the space a stronger spice would take. Some sources note that not every variety suits everyone, so try it on its own first.

Maple syrup. Generally well tolerated and simpler than flavored syrups or fruit concentrates. Individual response to sweeteners varies, so start with a single teaspoon.

Caffeine-free. This is fruit and a spice simmered in water, so it is a drink you can have in the evening.

Storage

Best the day it is made. Strain the tea off the apple slices before refrigerating, because fruit left sitting in the liquid turns it cloudy and dull. Make what you will drink now. If a pot is left, cover it, refrigerate it, and finish it within the day, rewarmed gently or poured over ice. Use the stove for that rather than the microwave. Some people find they do better with drinks made fresh each time, in which case halve the recipe and make a single mug.