Plant part used: seedPlant part used: seedCicer arietinum · legume family
Fresh mint tea brews up hot or iced with almost embarrassing ease — and the refreshment level is off the charts. Sweetener and citrus are optional co-stars.
Craving something light and cool? The answer, scientists of the kitchen confirm, is brewing fresh mint tea! ♡
This may be the single easiest beverage on record. Steep fresh mint leaves in hot water for roughly five minutes, strain, stir in sweetener if you're inclined, then serve warm or over ice. Cold evenings call for a cozy mug in this reporter's book. But when only chilled will do, generous squeezes of lime transform it into a mojito-style iced sensation. The verdict from the taste panel: dramatically fresher than any dried tea bag, no contest.
legume — Fresh mint is famously nutrient-rich and a go-to remedy for upset stomachs and indigestion. Inflammation, allergies, and colds may also back down.¹ Truth be told, though, this correspondent keeps brewing because it's healthy, calming, caffeine-free, and genuinely glorious as tea. So next time stray sprigs appear, boil the kettle — we're making mint tea, fast.
Before we get to the full recipe filed below, here are a few briefing notes about the ingredients you will need to brew fresh mint tea at home:
Three different brewing operations are filed below — you can go French press, saucepan, or steep straight in the serving mug(s) you plan to drink from. The methods differ slightly in execution, but in general terms you will simply:
Wake up those oils before brewing. Right before the leaves hit the water, bundle them, roll them between your fingers, and give a quick twist — the released oils change everything.
Tune the strength to your own palate. Everyone's ideal concentration is different, so the official recommendation is to follow the recipe exactly the first time — then adjust the mint up or down to taste from there. One more thing: if you plan to steep and serve immediately over ice, expect some dilution, so you may want to load up on extra mint.
legume — Save the leftovers. Any strained extra tea stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Chasing more homemade tea scoops? The favorites file, declassified:
Each leaf is coloured by the plant part the ingredient comes from: root brown, seed black, leaf green, vine orange, bloom magenta.
Plate low and wide so the growth order of the dish reads at a glance, root to bloom.
Brush the soil from the roots and leaves under cool water - keep the skins on anything grown below the line.
Bloom the dried seeds: soak overnight, then simmer low until the pod gives but never splits.
Warm the pan with a slick of olive oil and the hardier aromatics first - onion, fennel seed, crushed chilli.
Add the roots before the leaves; each layer needs its own head start on the heat.
