How to Make Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is a delicious and relaxing beverage that has numerous health benefits. Whether you are preparing it from a tea bag or using fresh leaves, peppermint tea can be made in a matter of minutes. Make a steaming mug of peppermint tea on a cold winter night, or whip up a batch of iced peppermint tea for a summer party and enjoy the invigorating taste of peppermint!

EditIngredients

EditFresh Hot Peppermint Tea

“’Serving: 1 cup of tea”’

• 7-10 peppermint leaves
• 8 ounces (250 ml) water
• honey, milk or lemon to taste (optional)

EditPeppermint Tea Using a Teabag

“’Serving: 1 cup of tea”’

• 1 peppermint teabag
• 8 ounces (250 ml) water
• honey, milk or lemon to taste (optional)

EditIced Peppermint Tea

“’Serving: 4-5 glasses of iced tea”’

• 3-5 mint teabags (or 30 fresh peppermint leaves)
• 5 spearmint leaves (optional)
• 4 cups (32 ounces) water
• lemon or honey to taste (optional)

EditSteps

EditMaking Fresh Peppermint Tea

1. Pick the peppermint. For each serving of tea you plan on making, pick 7-10 peppermint leaves from the stem of the plant. Try to pick leaves that are green and unblemished. If you bought a bunch of pre-cut peppermint stems, choose the healthiest looking leaves to pick off.^[1]
   
2. Rinse the peppermint leaves. Give the peppermint leaves a good rinse under the faucet. Even if you picked the peppermint from your own garden, you still want to make sure to wash off any dirt or impurities from the leaves.^[2]
   
3. Crush the peppermint. Use your hands to crush the peppermint by rubbing the leaves in between your fingers. Crushing the peppermint helps to release the flavor and aroma of the herb.^[3]
   
   • You can also use the back of a spoon to lightly press and rub the leaves.
   • If you have a mortar and pestle, use the pestle to very lightly crush the leaves.
   • Makes sure not to overdo it when you crush the leaves. The leaves should look crumpled and slightly greener, not mashed to bits.
4. Place the leaves in a mug. Put the freshly crushed peppermint leaves into a mug. For every serving of tea, place 7-10 leaves in the mug, depending on how strong you like the tea.^[4]
   
5. Boil water. Boil water in an electric kettle, a stove top kettle, or a pot on the stove. Wait for the water to boil, then turn off the heat and take the kettle or pot off the heat source.
   
6. Wait a couple minutes for the water to cool. Instead of pouring the boiling water into your mug, wait a couple minutes for the water to cool slightly. Like other herbal teas, peppermint tea is better when brewed in hot, but not boiling, water.^[5]
   
7. Pour the hot water into the mug. After you have let the water cool for a few minutes, carefully pour the water over the peppermint leaves. Make sure that all the leaves are submerged in the water, then cover the mug.^[6]
   
8. Let the tea steep for 7-12 minutes. If you prefer mild tea, steep for 7 minutes. If you prefer strong tea with a robust peppermint flavor, leave the peppermint in for the full 12 minutes.
   
9. Remove the peppermint leaves. After the tea has finished steeping, remove the leaves. You can take them out either by fishing them out with a spoon, or by straining the tea into another mug so that all the leaves get caught in the strainer.
   
10. Add honey or lemon if you wish. Your tea is now ready! If you like putting extras in your tea like honey, milk or lemon, add them right after straining. Otherwise, enjoy your fresh cup of peppermint tea!
    

EditMaking Peppermint Tea From a Teabag

1. Boil water. Boil water either on the stovetop or in an electric kettle. Make sure that you pour in enough water, which should be around 8 ounces (250 ml) of water for each serving of tea.^[7]
   
2. Let the water cool for a minute after boiling. Because herbal tea is better made with hot rather than with boiling water, allow the water to cool for a couple minutes after boiling.^[8]
   
3. Pour the water over the teabag. Place one teabag in each mug of tea that you are making. Then pour the hot water carefully into each mug. Cover each mug so the tea can steep without too much steam escaping.^[9]
   
   • You can also throw in a couple fresh peppermint leaves if you want!
4. Let the tea steep for 3-10 minutes. Let the covered mugs sit so that the tea can steep. If you prefer mild tea, only let the tea sit for three to five minutes. If you like strong tea, keep the bag in for 10.^[10]
   
5. Remove the teabag. After your tea is done steeping, remove the tea bag. If the tea bag has a string, simply pull it out by the string. If it doesn’t, fish it out with a spoon so that you don’t burn your fingers.
   
6. Add extras. If you wish, add extras to your tea like honey, sugar, milk or lemon. If you prefer your tea plain, sip and enjoy it while it’s hot!^[11]
   

EditMaking Iced Peppermint Tea

1. Fill a pot water and add 3-5 teabags or 30-40 peppermint leaves. Place a medium sized pot on the stove and fill it with 4 cups (32 ounces) of water. Then add either 3 peppermint teabags or 30 peppermint leaves.^[12]
   
   • It may seem like you are adding a lot of peppermint, but you are essentially making a strong infusion so that you can later add ice to the tea without diluting the flavor.
   • You can also add 5 or so spearmint leaves, which gives the tea a slightly sharper flavor.
2. Turn on the burner to medium heat. After you have added the teabags or mint leaves, turn on the burner to medium heat. Heating up the teabags or the peppermint leaves in the water helps to make the tea stronger.^[13]
   
3. Bring the tea to a boil. Bring the tea to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly and let it boil for about five minutes. This will strengthen the flavor of the tea, which is important since you will be diluting it with ice, and don’t want the flavor to get lost.^[14]
   
4. Pour the iced tea into a pitcher of ice. Fill a large pitcher up with cubed ice while the tea is boiling. Five minutes after the tea reaches a boil, remove the tea from the heat. Pour the tea into the pitcher over the ice. The ice should help to immediately cool down the tea.^[15]
   
   • Make sure to either wait for the boiled tea to mostly cool, or use a pitcher that can handle hot beverages.
5. Add extras to the tea. If you wish, add extras like honey or lemon to the iced tea. You can even squirt in a little bit of orange or lime to give the iced tea a more nuanced flavor. If you’re happy with the flavor already, leave as is.
   
6. Let the tea cool and serve chilled. Try the iced tea and see whether it’s cold enough just from the ice. If it is still warm, place the pitcher in the fridge or add more ice. Serve the iced tea when it is completely chilled.^[16]
   

EditTips

• Experiment adding additional ingredients like lemon, cinnamon or honey to your tea!
• Serve iced tea in tall glasses with ice and an umbrella for a fun, summery treat.
• Remember to stick the pitcher of iced tea back in the fridge after pouring your glass.

EditSources and Citations

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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/29Eq0dF
via Peter