How To Make Mint Tea From Fresh Mint

One of the oldest and popular kinds of tea is mint tea which is also used in various cultures. It is a non-caffeinated drink prepared from the leaves of different mint plants including peppermint or spearmint.

Mint tea can be prepared using fresh or dried mint leaves and boiling water that is allowed to steep for about 5-10 minutes. Toppings that can be put include honey or sugar and lemon to improve the taste of the food.

The preparation of fresh mint tea does not involve complex procedures. It is easily doable within a few minutes of a cook’s preparation.

The typical ingredients are:

a. Fresh mint leaves: It is simple to make the tea by using fresh mint leaves from plants such as peppermint and spearmint. You may need about ten to fifteen fresh mint leaves.

The two are very different leaves in terms of taste. Spearmint has a somewhat subtle taste which is a combination of sweetness and coolness while peppermint has that tingling, spicy feel on the tongue.

b. Water: It is recommended to use approximately 2 cups or 500ml of water to prepare mint tea from fresh mint. You can heat the water, as you want it hot – on an electric or stovetop kettle or in a saucepan.

c. Lime Or Lemon (optional): Should you garnish the tea with lemon wedges? -Why not! Adding fresh lemon or lime juice also enhances the taste of the tea and keeps you fresh.

d. Sweetener (optional): To sweeten your tea, you can pour honey, sugar, or any other sweetener of your preference over your tea.

As mentioned earlier, making mint tea is not a Herculean task. It is actually very easy and something that is almost revolutionary on drink menus nowadays. Here's a perfect guide for you:

1. Wash the fresh mint leaves’ surface by rinsing them under cold water.
2. Boil 2 cups of water in a small saucepan.
3. Add the fresh mint leaves to boiling water and allow them to steep for about 5 – 10 minutes.
4. When ready to serve, using a mesh strainer or tea infuser, pour out the mint leaves.
5. If you want your tea to taste sweet, you can add sugar and honey to it or add any kind of sweetener you want depending on your preference. Stir the tea well until the sweetener dissolves in the tea.
6.  You can also put an additional slice of lemon in case you fancy some citrusy flavor.

And the last one here is to serve the tea. The tea can be consumed steaming hot or on the other hand, the tea can be poured over a glass with ice to get an iced tea. Garnishing the tea with extra mint and/or citrus will help provide an aesthetic or pleasant look.

Here are some tips related to mint tea for you:

1. Release the oils in the mint: Bundle and roll the mint tea leaves together with your fingers and twist them to release their oils before adding them to the tea.
2. Experiment to figure out your favorite ratios: Every individual has a preference when it comes to tea concentrations. So, try out the recipe as written for the first time. This will help you determine your preference regarding the addition/subtraction of mint content in the future.
3. Refrigerate surplus tea: For 24 hours, you can store excess strained tea in the refrigerator for future use.

The act of serving fresh mint tea is cheerful and this can be made even truer if one is creative over it. Let's find out the ways to serve fresh mint tea:

Serve Hot Or Iced

1. Hot Mint Tea: Strain the tea into a cup or teapot and consume the hot tea with a slice of lemon, lemon juice, or honey as agreed.
2. Iced Mint Tea: Let the tea that has just been brewed cool down and then place the tea in the refrigerator for it to become cold. And then, you should be serving it in a glass filled with ice cubes.

Sweeteners And Enhancements

For instance, you can accompany the mint tea with a small bowl of honey, sugar, or agave syrup whereby the guests can put in whichever amount they prefer. You can also serve some slices of lemon or a bowl containing wedged lemons on the side.

Fresh mint tea goes well with a variety of snacks and treats.

Sweet Pairings

• Honey-based pastries
• Biscuits, cookies, or shortbread such as digestive biscuits, almond biscuits
• Honey or lemon cake
• Dates and dried fruits 
• Fruit salad or fresh berries

Savory Pairings

• Cheese platters 
• Mini sandwiches such as sandwiches filled with cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon, or egg salad
• Hummus with pita bread or veggies
• Nuts and seeds such as roasted almonds, walnuts, or mixed nuts

Light Pairings

• Cucumber salad 
• Yogurt with honey and nuts
• Stuffed dates with cheese or nuts

Dessert Pairings

• Mini pastries
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries

Drinking mint tea becomes much more satisfying to prep for yourself than it is to go out and buy.

• Prep Time: 3 min
• Cook Time: 5 min
• Total Time: 8 min
• Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 14 or 15 fresh mint leaves preferably using peppermint or spearmint
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or honey, or any sweetening agent of your choice, optional
• 2 slices lemon, optional
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

Instructions

1. Roll the mint leaves between your fingers to bruise them, then roughly tear the leaves with your hands and place them in a small strainer placed over a teapot or glass bowl.
2. Heat the water and pour over the leaves.
3. Lightly bash the mint with a wooden spoon or muddler placed at the back part of the mint to help extract its oils.
4. Place the lid on the teapot or bowl and let the leaves to steep for not less than 5 minutes, then filter it by removing the strainer and putting some pressure on it so that all the liquid can be squeezed into the tea.
5. Add optional sweetener. Originally add 1 teaspoon of tea per cup and add more as you please.
6. If it is a hot drink, transfer the tea into mugs. You can serve it with lemon slices and/ or lemon juices depending on the preferences of the individuals taking the food.

Nutrition Info (Amount Per Serving)

• Calories: 0 calorie
• Total Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium:10mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 0g
• Protein:0g

Iced Mint Tea

• Prep Time: 5 min
• Inactive time: 2 hrs 10 min
• Cook Time: 5 min
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 min
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1-quart boiling water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 green tea bags
• 1/2 large lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 bunch fresh mint, washed
• 2 cups cold water

Instructions

1. Brew tea in boiling water, letting steep for 10 minutes.
2. Pour brewed tea into a serving pitcher. Add sugar and lemon, and swirl in the mint, holding it by the stems and using it to stir and dissolve the sugar.
3. When sugar is dissolved, drop mint into a pitcher and add 2 cups cold water. 
4. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. 
5. Strain mint out before serving and pour over a glass full of ice to serve iced. Garnish with extra mint and lemon/lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition Info (Amount Per Serving)

• Calories: 51calorie
• Total Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 11mg
• Carbohydrate: 13g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 13g

Notes

i. Saucepan instructions: In a saucepan, heat the water in a boiling point before removing the pot from the heat source. Using just your fingers, fold up the mint leaves together and twist them slightly to help liberate the oils and then place them gently into the water making sure they are all submerged.

This tea should be allowed to steep for about 5 minutes or more depending on the taste that one wants. Before continuing on with the recipe, use a fine mesh strainer to take out the mint leaves.

ii. Mug instructions: Tightly coil up the mint leaves using your fingers and twirl them in between for a few seconds to have the oils coming out. Top each cup with the mint leaves, using the two largest cups in the set.

Add boiling water and allow the tea to steep for about five minutes or until one gets a preferred taste intensity. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the mint leaves, thereafter follow the rest of the steps.

iii. Mint tea can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Best if chilled, it can be chilled with ice if one wants to have a quick one.

Mint tea in particular is a versatile tea that has many types which can suit the palate of consumers, their culture and the kind of health boost that they are seeking to get. Some well-known variations of mint tea are:

a. Moroccan Mint Tea: The ones used in the recipe include gunpowder green tea, spearmint fresh leaves, and sugar. It is prepared by brewing green tea, fresh mint leaves and sugar are then added to the tea. After this, it is applied from a certain height so that froth can be made to form. The taste of this mint tea is sweet and mint and has a little earthy taste.

b. Mint And Lemon Tea: This includes fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, lemon slices, honey or sugar (depending on the taste and preference). Before you start you might need to boil the water and prepare the mint tea and then put fresh lemon juice and lemon slices. Then, add honey or sugar to sweeten the tea. It has a sour taste which goes well when consumed during the winter season.

c. Mint And Ginger Tea: The ingredients are fresh mint leaves, fresh ginger slices and honey or any sweetening agent of your choice. Its preparation involves boiling water with sliced ginger for some time and adding fresh mint leaves. After that, you need to strain and serve the tea. It warms up one's system and has that special spicy sensation on the throat.

d. Mint And Chamomile Tea: The components used are dried chamomile flowers, fresh mint leaves and honey if required. For the preparation you can take chamomile with mint boiled in hot water with the addition of honey in case it is required. It has a soft and flowery taste, thus making it a good drink for those who need to have something to take them to sleep.

e. Mint And Green Tea Blend: The ingredients used include green tea leaves, fresh mint leaves, honey or lemon depending on one’s taste and preference. To prepare this, you need to brew green tea and steep fresh mint leaves together. That is followed by the addition of honey or lemon to taste. There is a slightly bitter aftertaste, something like green tea and at the same time containing a fresh touch of mint.

Most of the recipes call for fresh mint, but it is equally acceptable and easier to use dried mint when making tea. Other considerations may assist you in choosing between fresh and dried mint for tea, including individual preference, availability, and the preferred taste and texture.

Fresh mint has a bright, and aromatic flavor. Also, it is very easy to incorporate fresh mint into other fresh herbs, which assists in preparing several types of combinations. They are perfect for summer iced teas, Moroccan mint tea, or teas where aesthetics or temperature and a subtle taste matter.

Dried mint is to be used when you require a higher concentration of mint flavor, convenience, and a longer shelf. It is also excellent for winter teas and herbal blends.