I am a mint lover, even when it grows at such a ferocious speed that it threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent and harvest and use as much as I can.
This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot, mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just chill it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together. Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing drinks after a long hot day.
And limes just happen to be on sale this week….
The stuff. A few stems of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown)
Start by placing the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot. Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)
Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
After steeping for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it) and stick into fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.
While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice)
After the tea is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.
And thats it..
Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)
A nice tall glass of cold yumminess… Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.
Stay cool!
-C
Fresh Mint Tea Limeade
- 4 full stems of fresh mint
- 6 cups water
- 2-3 limes (I used 2 1/2 which was almost a full cup of juice)
- sweetener to taste (a tablespoon of honey is nice)
Place mint, stems and all, into a large pot large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour the mint tea into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way… you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump the juice into the tea and mix or shake.
It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in a cup) and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)