iced mint tea
Anybody have a favorite and reliable way to make iced mint tea, the sweet kind with the real mint leaves? Does the type of mint make a huge difference?
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10 Comments:
That's what we had all the time when I was a kid. A good handful of carefully-washed and a casually-twisted mint stalks maybe 8 inches long went into a wide-mouth gallon jar which had been heated with hot water. Boiling water was poured over. It was left to cool a bit and then went in the refrigerator. The mint was removed after about three hours. Sometimes if the tea looked weak, you gave the mint a good squeeze before removing. It got cloudy if the mint was left in too long.
I think we had peppermint (red stems and narrowish leaves) but I have made it with other mints years ago.
You will have to experiment a bit to get the strength and timing right. Good luck.
Blue Iris at 2:35PM on 06/16/08
I remember when I went to Israel that I would get a sweetened mint tea after dinner... I loved it.
They just boiled water and let some spearmint leaves steep in the hot water. I guess you can then put the water in the fridge to cool and make it an iced version... Sweeten with Agave Nectar or honey or a simple syrup made with brown sugar so that you wont have undissolved sugar at the bottom of your glass.
Sounds yummy, I might have to make myself some...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 2:59PM on 06/16/08
Mmm..I've been looking for a good way to use my mint plant. Thanks for the idea!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 4:52PM on 06/16/08
Mint is a weed.
izatryt at 9:25AM on 06/17/08
I steep mint with the tea bags, or just add a few sprigs to the pitcher or glass for interest and light flavour.
I grow a lot of mint and a favorite way to use it is to cook it with peas.
PerkyMac at 9:42AM on 06/17/08
To be more specific, I put a couple inches of water in a small pot with 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Once it boils, I remove from heat and add 9-10 tea bags and a few sprigs of mint. Steep about 20 minutes (no more than 45 minutes), then remove mint and squeezed tea bags, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and add tea and lemon to a pitcher with enough water to make a gallon and chill. I prefer Luzianne tea bags, but most make decent sweet tea.
PerkyMac at 9:53AM on 06/17/08
@iszatryt: Don't you dare start. My sides still ache from laughing the last time. ;-)
Blue Iris at 4:54PM on 06/17/08
I'm just sayin'........
izatryt at 5:43PM on 06/17/08
@perkymac-I make my sweet tea exactly the way you do.
Sometimes, I make simple syrup with mint in it. Cool it down, add lemon juice and put it in ice tray to add to tea or lemonade whenever I want. It melts slowly and incorporates in the batch over time. It tastes very good especially for BBQ parties.
almondjoy at 9:22PM on 06/17/08
I find it really makes a difference if you bring the water to an actual boil, drop in the tea bags and then the fresh mint. Cover it and let it brew. I use an antiquated clear Pyrex tea pot that must be about 50 years old. It's short and squat and holds just over a quart.
@ almondjoy - Simple syrup is great for ice tea, mint or no mint.
RichardCrystal at 1:36PM on 06/20/08