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
- 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)
My flowers are coming up, I have packed away my winter jacket, and I haven’t worn anything but sandals for the past week. Plus yesterday I made the first batch of sun tea and saw my first hot air balloon of the season (which lead to a heated discussion with the mister about how hot air balloons take flight. We were both kinda right, but me more than him)So yeah, it’s for real… Winter is gone and spring has sprung, or more like spring sprung then bounced cause now it’s basically summer weather. Not complaining, but I hope we get a least a few more weeks of pleasant, not hot and humid weather.
Anyway. Sun tea, one of my favorite summer time drinks. Made by infusing regular old teas with water by using the almighty power of sun.
Why do we want to make iced tea this way instead of just using boiling water? Well you can still do that, but sun tea makes a more mellow, lovely, and I find, more sweeter tea. It brings out more complex flavors that you don’t get with the boiling water method. And it’s nice to know that it took zero effort on my part to make the drink (not that boiling water takes that much effort, but still)
It can be made with any variety of teas, infused with other fresh herbs, dried spices, or even chunks of fruit. You can also make the teas and add flavors after the infusing is over. Have fun and play with flavor combos.
A few of my favorite sun tea combinations
- Any mellow black tea like orange pekoe or english breakfast with a few springs of mint
- Chamomile and mint
- Green with a fruity tea, like blueberry or pomegranate
- Lemon Zinger with a few springs of Rosemary
These are just a few of the endless possible flavors. And you don’t have to get fancy with it either, you can totally use plain old lipton tea bags (I still do that too)
Now harness the sunshine and feel awesome and fancy by making some tea!
Woo Hoo Wednesday!
-C
SUN TEA
What you’ll need
- Tea- Either bags or loose leaf
- Water- Preferably Filtered
- A glass jar with a lid
- Sunshine
I use a ratio of 1 tea bag or 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea per 2 cups of water. And I usually make my teas in half gallon ball jars so I use 4-5 teabags or tablespoons of tea. (makes just enough tea for 4-6 tall glasses, depending on you glass size) If it’s a mint tea, I usually use a little less because I find that mint teas can become to strong and bitter so I use 3 teas bags or tablespoons of loose.
Directions
Place tea loose or bags into jar. Fill with water, leaving about an inch for tea expansion, place lid on tight, and stick in the sun for anywhere between 3-5 hours (depending on how strong you like your tea). When tea is infused to your liking, remove teabags or strain the loose tea and stick into the fridge to chill. Serve as is in a drinking vessel with a few ice cubes and add sweetener if that’s what you do.
Drink within a day or two, then rinse jar and make a new batch!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
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
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)
My flowers are coming up, I have packed away my winter jacket, and I haven’t worn anything but sandals for the past week. Plus yesterday I made the first batch of sun tea and saw my first hot air balloon of the season (which lead to a heated discussion with the mister about how hot air balloons take flight. We were both kinda right, but me more than him)So yeah, it’s for real… Winter is gone and spring has sprung, or more like spring sprung then bounced cause now it’s basically summer weather. Not complaining, but I hope we get a least a few more weeks of pleasant, not hot and humid weather.
Anyway. Sun tea, one of my favorite summer time drinks. Made by infusing regular old teas with water by using the almighty power of sun.
Why do we want to make iced tea this way instead of just using boiling water? Well you can still do that, but sun tea makes a more mellow, lovely, and I find, more sweeter tea. It brings out more complex flavors that you don’t get with the boiling water method. And it’s nice to know that it took zero effort on my part to make the drink (not that boiling water takes that much effort, but still)
It can be made with any variety of teas, infused with other fresh herbs, dried spices, or even chunks of fruit. You can also make the teas and add flavors after the infusing is over. Have fun and play with flavor combos.
A few of my favorite sun tea combinations
These are just a few of the endless possible flavors. And you don’t have to get fancy with it either, you can totally use plain old lipton tea bags (I still do that too)
Now harness the sunshine and feel awesome and fancy by making some tea!
Woo Hoo Wednesday!
-C
SUN TEA
What you’ll need
I use a ratio of 1 tea bag or 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea per 2 cups of water. And I usually make my teas in half gallon ball jars so I use 4-5 teabags or tablespoons of tea. (makes just enough tea for 4-6 tall glasses, depending on you glass size) If it’s a mint tea, I usually use a little less because I find that mint teas can become to strong and bitter so I use 3 teas bags or tablespoons of loose.
Directions
Place tea loose or bags into jar. Fill with water, leaving about an inch for tea expansion, place lid on tight, and stick in the sun for anywhere between 3-5 hours (depending on how strong you like your tea). When tea is infused to your liking, remove teabags or strain the loose tea and stick into the fridge to chill. Serve as is in a drinking vessel with a few ice cubes and add sweetener if that’s what you do.
Drink within a day or two, then rinse jar and make a new batch!