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How To Make Fresh Mint Tea
Fresh peppermint
Mint tea is great to have any time of the year. I love peppermint and don't mind how fast it grows and spreads. During the spring and summer I am continuously cutting it down and drying them for the winter. Peppermint has many uses, one of them being tea. Freshly picked peppermint makes a delicious tea and has multiple health benefits. It soothes the lining of your stomach and calms your nerves. Peppermint helps to release bile from your gallbladder which aids the digestion of fats. If you have acid reflux or GERD, you should drink peppermint in moderation as it may make the condition worse - due to the fact that it relaxes the esophageal sphincter which allows stomach acids to escape. Peppermint is also high in antioxidants and contain properties that fight certain types of bacteria. It is packed with vitamins such as C and A. If you have a garden, you can easily grow it and enjoy peppermint tea whenever you want. Drying Peppermint leaves is easy. Just take the leave off and put them on a cookie sheet to dry out for a few days, then crush them. They can be stored in containers as loose tea so you can enjoy peppermint tea during the winter months.
Make your peppermint tea ahead of time
When making peppermint tea, you can actually make a big pot at one time and store it in your refrigerator for up to two days. If some of the leaves are left in, it will continue to brew and become more flavorful. This tea is enjoyable as a hot or cold beverage. This smells so good when your making it.
Procedure:
- Gather some fresh peppermint and rinse them thoroughly with cold water.
- Pick leaves off the stems and roll them together and chop into small pieces (I love doing this because it releases the peppermint fragrance and makes your kitchen smell so good).
- Use a ratio of 1 tsp of chopped peppermint leaves to one cup of water.
- Add chopped leaves to a saucepan of boiling water and boil for one minute.
- Turn off heat, cover the saucepan and allow leaves to steep in the hot water for up to an hour.
- Pour the peppermint brew through a strainer to remove the leaves.
- Sweeten with honey or sugar if you choose.
A favorite tea pot
Do you have a favorite tea pot? I do, it's the kind that has a removable strainer. Having one like this allows you to pour the hot tea directly from the saucepan to the tea pot. When you're ready to pour the tea in your tea pot, the leaves remain in the strainer. Peppermint tea is delicious when sweetened with honey.
Health Benefits of Peppermint
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint is good for headaches, anxiety and depression. Peppermint is also good for menstrual cramps, nausea, diarrhea and flatulence. It has natural antibacterial, antifungal and anti-viral properties. Peppermint contains menthol which makes it a great tea for colds to break up congestion. It also works great as an expectorant - to bring up phlegm and mucus. It soothes a sore throat and helps dry throat.
Other health benefits
Peppermint tea has been used for many years as a naturopathic remedy. It soothes irritable bowel syndrome, helps gingivitis and helps to relieve the painful symptoms of shingles.
How peppermint grows
Peppermint has a strong root system and can take over a garden if you're not careful. Keep it under control by pulling up unwanted peppermint by the roots. You can also control it by growing it in a container or a barrel. I personally love how it looks and don't mind it scattered throughout my garden. Just keep ahead of it as best as you can.
Disclaimer
If you are allergic to menthol or any type of mint, do not drink peppermint tea. Consult with your primary care provider before using peppermint tea as it may reduce or enhance the effectiveness of some medications.
Another hub by creativelycc
- Non-alcohol Mint Julep
Non-alcoholic mint julep is a delicious and refreshing drink you can enjoy anytime. The peppermint will also soothe an upset stomach and calm your nerves.
References
- WHFoods: Peppermint
Non-profit foundation providing reliable, scientifically accurate, personalized information for convenient and enjoyable healthy eating.
Comments
- Author
Thank you poetrymann6969 for your comment. Freshly crushed peppermint is delicious!!
Love the smell of freshly crushed peppermint.
- Author
Thank you very much Aesta1 for your comments. I find that cutting the leaves brings out more of the natural mint flavoring.
Blessings to you!
Peppermint is very refreshing. I find your way of preparing peppermint tea interesting. I will try it. I usually just use the leaves whole, not chopped.
- Author
Thank you for your comment CrisSp. I made some dandelion tea the other day and I must say that it is good. It also has multiple health properties. That's going to be a keeper for me too!
Excellent hub! It so happens peppermint if my favorite flavored tea! I drink it regularly at night before going to bed. It seems to help me relax. However, I have never tasted fresh peppermint tea. I look forward to making this brew sometime soon to compare and contrast it against the store bought versions. - Voted up!
I'd like to try this. Mine is dandelion but I keep on experimenting with tea and the more natural it is the better, of course.
Good hub. Bookmarking, voting up, pinning and sharing.
Thank you.
- Author
Thank you DDE for your comment. I dried a lot of my mint from last summer and used it all winter long. I can never get enough of it! Take care!
I have lots of mint an enjoy the tea so very much on a summers day, a well advised hub on making fresh mint tea.
- Author
You are very welcome Rajan, thank you for your comment!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful and useful recipe, Carrie. The pictures are useful.
voted up.
- Author
You are very welcome Ruby Rose. I just harvested some leaves yesterday from my garden to dry them for the winter so I can enjoy peppermint tea on a cold winter's night. Thank you for your comment and the best to you1
Very yummy and wonderful directions! Great hub. Thanks for teaching us so many wonderful things about Peppermint! Sharing...
- Author
You are very fortunate to have access to an abundance of fresh mint leaves in Peru! Thank you for visiting and for your comments!
It´s great to know tea can be made with fresh leaves as we have an abundance of fresh mint leaves in Peru. Thank you...voted up, useful and interesting.
- Author
You are very welcome suziecat7, I hope you like it. Thank you for becoming a fan! The best to you!
Very nice Hub and I plan to try out this tea. Thanks so much for sharing this. Rated up and I'm a fan.
- Author
I'm sure you'll enjoy it Indian Chef! Thank you for your comment.
This looks very refreshing. I sure am going to try it out.
- Author
Thank you very much Thumbi for sharing my hub!
This is an interesting hub.
Peepermint is available in in our place also
The leaves must definitely have some beneficial effects.
Thanks for SHARING:)
- Author
What a good idea theclevercat, I bet it does make a pleasant presentation. You can grow mint in a flower pot right in your home if you don't have an outdoor garden. I was growing some indoors until my daughters cat ate the plant. Now I have to wait until spring, because right now my garden is covered with about 12 inches of snow. Thank you very much for your comment!
Ahhhh, yes. This is perfect! Too bad I don't have fresh mint around! I love read and mint is one out my absolute favorites... sometimes I stick the leaves in ice cubes and enjoy them that way. Maybe a little fussy of me, but it does make a lovely presentation. Voting up and beautiful. Great pics, too!
- Author
You are very welcome. Thank you very much MarleneB for you comment!. It is delicious!
I have mint growing in my garden and never really knew how to brew a good cup of mint tea until now. Thank you for your wonderful recipe.
Dearest creativelycc..."You are VERY Welcome because it IS TRUE." Kenneth
- Author
Thank you very much Kenneth!
My Dear creativelycc..."Thank YOU, my friend, for being so understanding with me. I WANT to visit you more often than I do now. And I will do my best in the future to do so. And I thank you for this sweet compliment, but I think that SWEET defines YOU best. Have a great day and be safe." Kenneth
- Author
Hi Kenneth,
Thank you very much for your encouraging comments. It is rainy and snowy here in Maine today. You don't have to apologize for not visiting me. There are so many wonderful hubs here and it's very challenging trying to read as many as you can. You are a wonderful person. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Hi, creativelycc, on 12/6, raining and cold where I live. I voted up and away on this wonderfully-"delicious" hub. I am NOT jesting. LOVE this stuff to eat. I am truly sorry for being so slack in coming for a visit to read YOUR materials. I wanted to get as many hubs finished before my health gets any worse. So please, forgive me. And I will try my best to make YOU proud by visiting you more. And Please, enjoy yourself to the max and have a Merry Christmas. (((KENNETH)))
- Author
You are very welcome Cloverleaf, thank you for your comment!
Sounds delicious! I love the refreshing properties of peppermint. I will be sure to try this out with a little honey. Thanks :)
- Author
Hi DeBorrah,
I didn't realize that peppermint can help you to sneeze. That's quite interesting! Thank you for your comment!
- Author
Thank you very much samialli, once you start drinking peppermint tea, it's hard to stop. It's so refreshing and makes you stomach feel so good!
Creativelycc, Peppermint is quite refreshing! For some, It also helps you to sneeze! Great healthy tips! Thank you for sharing, Peace & Blessings!
Hi creativelycc, I love this hub because I did have fresh peppermint given to me this past summer and did not know how to make the tea. My neighbor has peppermint growing all over the place. Thanks for a great Hub! :)
Hi creativelycc, This is so strange because my neighbor has peppermint growing wild. He gave me some this past summer and I really didn't know how to make it. I'm so glad you wrote this Hub. When it grows next year I will know what to do. I vote this Hubpage up! :)
- Author
You are so welcome! The health benefits are a plus to a delicious a delicious tea. Thank you for your comments!
We've always enjoyed peppermint tea during the holidays but strangely enough, did not know of all these benefits--thanks!
- Author
Pinching off a mint leave in my garden and smelling it is something I do just about every time I'm in my garden too. It smells so refreshing. I'm surprised at how many people haven't tried peppermint tea. I really hope you enjoy it. Let me know!
I love fresh mint and grow it in my garden just so I can pinch off a few leaves now and then to smell. Although I've used mint leaves as garnish in regular iced tea, I've never tried making mint tea. After reading your Hub, I think I'll give it a try! Thanks!
- Author
You are very welcome, thank you for your comments. I'm going to take some in this fall and grow it in a pot to enjoy it all winter long.
It is so rejuvenating. Something you can actually luxuriate in. I had a pot on my sill and the nice thing is - you pick the leaves and more grow back. And what a lovely cup of tea. Just the aroma.
I did not know its benefits with shingles. That's amazing and it seems like more people are suffering from shingles. Thanks for the nutritional info too.
Rated up!
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