Fresh Garden Mint Tea

Garden Mint Tea

Mint tea is a refreshing beverage, whether it’s served hot or cold. In summertime, ice cold garden mint tea adds refreshment. Making mint tea is not difficult – as long as you have some mint!

You can make a concentrate if you have plenty of tea. To get started, gather your mint. Beg or borrow from a friend, buy some at a Farmer’s Market, or grow your own in flower beds or your garden.

Getting started

Cut your stalks, or pull leaves off the stalks. It’s easier to just cut the stalks, but you can do it however you want.

Wash the mint – stalks and all – in cold water. Let it soak for a few minutes, then drain the mint. Repeat once or twice, depending on how dirty the mint seems to be.

Start with cold water. Put it in a kettle and place your mint (stalks and all or just the leaves) in the kettle. Bring it to a boil; press the leaves down into the water, and stir a little if necessary. Put the lid on the kettle and turn the burner way down. Let is simmer for an hour or longer. The longer it simmers, the stronger your syrup and the more tea you will have.

Finishing the mint tea

Put sugar into a pitcher and place a colander on top. How much sugar? Some people use 1/2 cup; but folks in the south generally do 1 to 1.5 cups. Yeah. This is the south. I try to use less than a cup but I’ve had tea a lot sweeter.

Remove the tea from the stove top and pour the leaves and water into the colander. Press the leaves to get all the water and mint into the pitcher. You can pour a little cold water into the kettle and pour it all over the tea. You might be surprised at how much “tea” is left in the kettle.

Mix the hot tea with the sugar, stirring well until dissolved. Add cold water to fill your gallon. Serve, and enjoy!

The recipe

Fresh Garden Mint Tea

My Windowsill

Garden mint tea is full of flavor and refreshment. Make a concentrate if you have plenty, or just fix a gallon at a time

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1 gallon

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups mint on stalks
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 - 1.5 cups sugar - or more if desired
• Cold water to fill the gallon

Instructions

 

• Wash mint thoroughly and drain
• Put cold water into a kettle
• Add the mint and press it down to get it all wet
• Heat until water begins to boil
• Press tea into the water again, and stir slightly
• Put lid on kettle
• Turn burner to simmer
• Let simmer for an hour
• Put sugar into a pitcher
• Place colander on pitcher
• Pour tea over colander
• Stir hot tea with sugar and keep stirring until dissolved
• Add cold water to fill the pitcher