How to make Fresh Mint Iced Tea

fresh garden herbs

decaf mint tea

steeping mint tea

summer tea party

Fresh leaves from mint and lemon verbena make a refreshing and delicious sweet tea for a summer gathering. Find fresh spearmint or peppermint herbs at a farmers market or grocery store if you don't grow your own.  Plan on about one handful of mint leaves per cup of iced tea.


Gently rinse the sprigs to remove insects and dirt. The featured two quart recipe used "Mint Julep" spearmint and lemon verbena, a sweet lemon scented herb, along with four de-caffinated tea bags.


Bring one quart of water to a full boil in a pot. Turn off the heat and add the herb sprigs along with the tea bags. Allow one tea bag for every two cups of tea. 



Steep the fresh herbs and tea bags for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally for even saturation. 



Pour the mixture through a strainer. Compost or discard the leaves and tea bags. Stir in sugar to taste, about 1/2 cup for this 8 cup recipe. Pour into a pitcher and add four more cups of cold water and/or ice to fill a two quart pitcher. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Use fresh mint tea within three days for best taste.

Variations:
Use orange and chocolate mint leaves instead of spearmint. 
Add chamomile tea bags.
Replace sugar with honey.
Add a vanilla bean or fresh ginger pieces to the steeping tea.
Add lemon or orange juice to the tea.

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All content and images original works of kittycooks. Copyright 2009

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