May 5, 2015

Mint Infused Iced Tea

Iced Tea Infused with Mint

Mint is definitely at the top of my herbs list! Not only does it smell absolutely divine but it’s also easy to grow and as an added bonus, repels mosquitos! If you are growing it in the ground as I do you’ll want to keep a close eye as mint tends to grow rather aggressively. But for me, you can never have too much mint, so I just find ways to use it! For a more controlled environment, simply plant in pots and water frequently during hotter months.

Mint is lovely in salads, desserts, pestos, your favorite alcoholic beverage 😉 or even as an aromatic centerpiece on your table! It also has a wide variety of health benefits such as aiding in proper digestion and nausea & headache relief!

For todays’ post we will be infusing mint with tea ~ simple and refreshing!

If you are already growing mint, clip a few sprigs for steeping. If not, mint can be purchased in your local grocery store. Rinse leaves with cold water.

Boil 6 cups of water. place 5 teabags of your favorite tea in the water, cover and steep for 5 minutes; remove lid and add 1/2 cup sugar and approx 4 cups cool water. For this recipe, I used standard black tea blended with Earl Grey tea. Free free to use green tea if you like.

Take a couple sprigs of mint in the palm of your hand, then “SLAP” the mint with your other hand. I know this sounds silly but when you do this you will be releasing its fragrant oils.

Place the mint sprigs in your tea. Allow your sweetened mint tea to steep until it is cool.

Remove tea bags and mint sprigs from your pot. You can serve right away over ice with a mint garnish or store in your fridge in glass bottles as shown above. I purchased these bottle from TJMax for $1.99 each!

This recipe can be tailored to your liking. For example, adding an additional 1/4 cup of sugar for a southern style “Sweet Tea”. You may also swap sugar with agave or honey. If it is unsweet you prefer, forget the sugar altogether and add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice!

Enjoy & Boun Appetito,

Christina