How To Make Mint Tea

Learning how to make mint tea might feel like a challenge to the tea drinker used to tea bags, generic boxed teas or even loose leaf. Fresh mint is unlike its boxed comparisons and a wonderfully healthy alternative. Mint, like many herbs offer the possibility of medicinal qualities to boost immune systems or specifically with mint,can soothe an upset stomach or refresh the mouth as a holistic rinse. Recent studies have begun to examine the possibilities of mint as an anti-cancer agent. Whether for medicinal use or a cool beverage, mint is a versatile herb. How to make mint tea might be confusing for the herb novice in locating fresh mint. Fresh mint leaves are generally available packaged at the grocery store in the vegetable or produce section or found at  the local outdoor green or farmers' market. There are also different  types of mint that can be brewed for tea, such as spearmint, with smaller textured leaves, applemint and, of course, the popular peppermint. Some herb lovers may even grow their own mint plants to pick or pinch as needed.               

You will need the following to make mint tea:

• Fresh mint leaves
• a teapot
• a tea strainer
• water
• honey or sugar
• ice

Steps

1. Wash the mint leaves thoroughly. Factor in how strong you'd like it to be. Use as many as tea leaves as preferred in strength of the taste. For a lighter mint tea, use less leaves, although brewed mint tea is a naturally light in taste.
2. Place washed leaves in the teapot strainer. Place teapot strainer in the teapot.
3. Boil water for the tea.
4. Pour boiling water over the tea pot strainer in the teapot.
5. Steep for thirty minutes to an hour for iced tea. This means to let the boiling water is settle over the mint leaves for period of time. As the tea is "sitting" or steeping it is slowly releasing its essence or flavor into the water.
6. Mix in honey or sugar while it is warm. How to make mint tea means determining if it is a cold or hot beverage or sweetened or unsweetened. Pour the warm tea over ice with one sprig of mint perched on the rim of the glass for a festive decorative touch  
7. Steep the mint leaves for thirty minutes for hot tea. Drink immediately adding honey to or sugar or taste.