Make Your Own Mint Tea

Mint is a very giving plant. So giving you might find yourself with sprigs and sprigs of freshly harvested leaves and not much to do with them. I recommend this refreshing mint tea you can make in just 5 easy steps.

Step One to Make Mint Tea from Your Herb Garden

Gather organic mint from your organic herb garden, cutting near the base of the stem or just above the leaf node about 1/3 of an inch from the ground.

Strip the leaves off the bottom few inches of a bunch of mint stems, tie with twine, and hang to dry in a cool and dark-ish place for a minimum of 7 days. Avoid bright light, which can bleach the greens and remove some of the strong mint flavor you’re hoping to keep.

Step Two to Make Mint Tea from Your Herb Garden

After a minimum of one week, check to ensure that the mint leaves are completely dry.

Gather a colander and a plate.

Step Three to Make Mint Tea from Your Herb Garden

Gently strip the mint leaves off each stem directly into the colander. If leaves don't come right off the stem, this is likely a sign that the mint isn't dry enough at this point for preserving.

Step Four to Make Mint Tea from Your Herb Garden

Using your hand or a mortar, break the leaves into smaller pieces, slowly pushing them through the colander and onto the plate below.

Step Five to Make Mint Tea from Your Herb Garden

Fill up an amber (or dark-colored) jar with the crushed mint leaves and store in a cool and dry place. (Amber jars keep out light, which helps to preserve the flavor and freshness of the tea.)

To make tea, use a fine strainer or reusable tea bag, fill with about one tablespoon of the crushed mint leaves, steep in 6 to 8 ounces of boiling water, strain, and drink up!

Then pat yourself on the back—you just achieved a major kitchen-garden-to-table milestone: homegrown organic tea!

Mint Tea Benefits

Both peppermint and spearmint have long been used for their medicinal properties. Drinking mint in tea form has many benefits, including the following:

• Mint tea has many benefits for your digestion, including calming an upset stomach and relieving stomach bloating.
• Mint can help with nasal congestion and other cold and flu symptoms. Mint tea can even alleviate allergy symptoms like sneezing and runny noses, especially if you mix in some locally sourced honey.
• If you're worried about your breath, drinking mint tea is a natural way to fight the bacteria in your mouth causing bad breath.
• Mint tea can help relieve pain. It's believed mint can ease tension headaches and menstrual cramps.
• Mint tea boosts your ability to focus and stay alert. The smell of mint stimulates your limbic system, which is central to learning and storing memories.

Basically, drink mint tea if your head or stomach is hurting, or if you need a natural pick-me-up before a big presentation or test.

Enjoy!