How to make tea with fresh mint: recipe, how to make a tasty drink

Author: Julia Kopylova , tea expert.

The plant, characterized not only by its beneficial properties and fragrant aroma, but also by its unpretentiousness to the habitat, grows in almost every yard.

Mint stems and sheets used in tea recipes provide freshness and coolness, creating an invigorating effect from the first sip.

If desired, the natural product can be dried or frozen for a long time without harming its quality characteristics.

However, before you start using a natural ingredient on an ongoing basis, it is worth understanding the basic nuances and recommendations in advance.

How to brew and drink tea with fresh mint, what are the recipes, how much to add to the drink, and can you make a delicious infusion from a combination with other herbs and berries?

Now let's talk about everything.

Overview

The variety of species that exist in nature and belong to the plant family in question is quite large.

Researchers have more than three hundred varieties of both wild and garden versions, most of which can benefit from a competent approach to use.

The most common and recognizable are peppery, roundleaf, curly, homemade and lemon, also known as lemon balm.

Unpretentious stems with fragrant leaves grow almost everywhere and do not require special care, can be easily dried in the open air, and in a drink they quench thirst well, give a feeling of freshness and coolness.

Mint is native to Europe, West and Central Asia, India and Nepal. It is found in Russia in the North Caucasus, in the European part, and Siberia.

As for the appearance of the plant, the leaves are ovate, oblong or elliptical, with a sharp end and serrated edges. The flowers themselves can be purple or pink.

In order to dry the mint, collect the stems together with the leaves and wash them from dust and dirt. For more information on plant drying, see the chapter below. In order not to bother with drying yourself, we advise you to purchase a ready-made and high-quality product from the Russian Tea Company. This will significantly save your time.

Composition and caloric content

The biochemical structure of leaves and stems includes a wide range of micro- and macronutrients useful for the human body. This includes ash, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, copper, zinc and iron, as well as vitamins of groups A, B, C and PP.

Average kilocalorie content & mdash; 70/100 g, while 6.6 g of carbohydrates are present in the same volume, 3.8 & mdash; proteins, and 0.1 & mdash; fats.

Benefits and harms

Knowing how to brew mint tea from fresh mint, you can make a tasty and healthy drink, the use of which is accompanied by a number of positive points:

• Recovery of nervous system functions.
• Memory stimulation, increased attention and brain activity.
• Normalize blood vessels.
• Active gastric juice production that improves appetite.

Preventive action is primarily due to the variety of valuable substances contained in the plant and given to the infusion during heat treatment.

But do not forget about contraindications and that this is tea, not a medicine. If you have health problems, you should seek medical advice.

Sedative

Sedation helps restore emotional balance. Natural components do not cause drowsiness and addiction, allowing you to maintain vigor and activity.

Rich taste and bright aroma contribute to the overall tone, which is especially important in the autumn-winter period.

Cold Prevention

Recipes for delicious mint tea not only guarantee the pleasure of tea drinking, but also help as a prevention of colds in the season of their exacerbation.

The preventive and anti-inflammatory properties of the drink compensate for the weakening of the immune system.

Combining with honey or lemon provides a sufficient supply of vitamins needed to fight viruses and infections.

Dietary benefit

Many experts recommend including mint infusions in the diet when losing weight. Low calorie content stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and helps quench thirst after exercise.

It should be borne in mind that the desired effect is manifested only in combination with a comprehensive program, including a diet, regular training and medical consultations & mdash; before making tea with mint a drink that is constant in the diet, it is worth consulting a specialist who will tell you the optimal method for getting rid of excess weight.

Contraindications for men

If we talk about side effects, then first of all it is worth mentioning the reduction of testosterone, which is necessary for the male body.

Abuse of mint infusions and decoctions can be the cause of a decrease in libido, so it is better to adhere to a rational approach.

Therapeutic properties for women

But for the fair sex, mint infusion is characterized only on the positive side. Plant components can help relieve negative symptoms of toxicosis and menopause, and facilitate the periodic cycle.

Pregnancy and feeding

Before adding mint to tea, it is recommended to check with your doctor the permissible concentration and daily rate. In most cases, it is advised to limit yourself to no more than two cups per day. During lactation, mint drinks should be temporarily excluded from the diet, using the plant only for aromatherapy.

At what age can children drink mint tea

Doctors say that infusion on natural herbs is contraindicated for babies under three years old, and in cases where passivity of behavior is observed & mdash; before the start of school. Alternatively, you can make baths with the addition of a leaf decoction to help normalize sleep.

Variety of Mint Beverage Flavors

Selection is limited only to individual taste preferences & mdash; each species has unique characteristics that ensure a positive tea-drinking experience.

• Mint green tea .
• Mint Black Tea . Classic drink with peppermint leaves. It has a fresh aroma and a long aftertaste.
• Herbal mixture with mint . & nbsp; A fragrant and tasty herbal collection will give pleasure and benefit. Herbs and berries included in & ndash; a treasure trove of useful trace elements.

Brewing features

To ensure the greatest possible pleasure, and at the same time benefit from the intended tea drinking, it is important to know all the nuances: is it possible to brew fresh green mint stems into tea, how to prepare a drink from dried peppermint varieties, and how to make a delicious mint infusion according to recipes for which the addition of other, no less aromatic ingredients is provided.

In addition, follow the basic guidelines:

• Choose pottery, clay, or glass teapots.
• Pour only after cooling boiling water to 80 degrees.
• Refrain from re-spilling.
• Cool water to 40-45 & deg; C when adding honey.
• Keep leaf proportions 1:1.

This is not a complete list, but even it will help significantly improve the taste of finished drinks. Now is the time to take a closer look at the main recipes.

Fresh green mint tea

For a medium cup, five to seven stems, kneaded by hand or with a kitchen pestle & mdash; until juice and essential oils are released. The mass is poured with water just below the boiling point, and infuses up to a quarter of an hour.

From dried leaves

Brew is taken at the rate of one teaspoon per serving. The filled kettle is covered with a lid, the infusion is aged for about 20 minutes, after which it is ready to be bottled and consumed.

Popular Recipes

In addition to basic cooking options, there are also original combinations, often offered in restaurants and cafes.

Mint iced tea

An invigorating and refreshing drink ideal for hot weather.

Prepared on the basis of black brew, mint leaves, freshly squeezed citrus juice (lemon, orange), water and sugar (optional). Infuses up to half an hour.

Add lemon balm

It is curious that in nature there is an almost complete analogue of the culture under consideration.

Melissa is also suitable for making hot or cool infusions, and is used both fresh and dried.

Cranberry honey

Helps to quench thirst and improve performance.

The recipe is based on karkada (two spoons), 100 gr. berries mashed with sugar or honey (to taste), and crushed mint leaves.

All ingredients are mixed in a tea kettle and poured with hot water.

With dried fruits

The tonic combination, optimal for a sultry summer day, includes 1.5 spoonfuls of black tea, dried apricots, prunes and raisins, as well as a few lemon wedges and mint leaves.

Before using & mdash; cool down.

Sea buckthorn

The preventive effect, important during the period of exacerbation of colds and infections, helps to strengthen the immune system. For decoction, 0.2 kg of fresh or frozen berries, several herbal stems, as well as fragrant non-sugared honey are used. The components are passed through a sieve and infused with boiling water for a quarter of an hour.

With apples

Steaming fruits helps preserve beneficial elements and remove toxins from the body. The recipe provides for a combination of 50 ml of apple juice, 1/2 lime, whole apple, half a cup of peppermint leaves and two tablespoons of black brew per half liter of boiling water.

Sugar & mdash; to taste. The cooking technology resembles compote & mdash; first, water and juice are brought to a boil, after which the remaining ingredients are sequentially added to the container.

Citrus

Lemon, lime, orange & mdash; all this goes well with mint blanks, and adds freshness and vitamins to the finished drink.

With berries

The same is true for berry products.

Strawberries and raspberries, currants, grape leaves, as well as sea buckthorn and cherries are usually used to choose from.

With other herbs

When talking about which plants you can still brew fresh mint in tea, chamomile, thyme, bergamot and tarhoun are usually mentioned. Other options exist, but the recipe remains unchanged & mdash; pouring in a kettle and boiling for fifteen minutes, eliminating negative manifestations.

Milk mint tea

The original recipe, which provides for the ratio of three teaspoons of low-fat cream or milk to 1 tsp dried grass.

In addition, a pinch of salt and lemon quarter juice are added, as well as & mdash; to taste & mdash; sugar. It is supplied chilled.

Moroccan version

Classic version, characterized by draining the first infusion after brewing, which corresponds to the eastern traditions of tea ceremonies.

Ready-made tea Moroccan mint in the catalog & laquo; of the Russian Tea Company & raquo;.

Spiced

Ginger root and cinnamon & mdash; natural toners that raise activity and performance levels in the morning.

After the chopped brew is slightly infused and cooled, a spoon or two of sugar or natural honey is recommended to enhance the taste.

Preventative

Many pathological conditions lead to the recommendation to use infusions based on mint leaves and stems, as well as other forms of plant processing.

Best & mdash; a combination of natural ingredients and medications prescribed by your healthcare provider.

Pressure effects

Many people experiencing problems associated with elevated BP include mint in their diet on an ongoing basis. But hypotension acts as a limiting factor, often forcing to completely abandon plant-based drinks.

How often to drink mint tea

The usual daily norm is one to two cups per day, while only two to three teas per week are enough to achieve a preventive effect. It is not recommended to abuse the infusion, since there is a risk of a sharp decrease in pressure, systematic weakness and drowsiness. In addition, the composition can cause exacerbation of varicose veins.

When it comes to evening drinking, it is usually not forbidden to drink a little tea drink.

The characteristic calming effect has a beneficial effect on sleep strength. However, it is important to correctly approach the dosage issue, since too much usually provokes a diuretic effect.

How to collect and dry mint

The stems of the cut plant should be washed with running water, removing dust and microbes accumulated on the surface of the leaves.

Lay out paper towels on the kitchen table that absorb moisture from the blanks.

After the starting material dries, it is transferred to a sheet or lattice, previously covered with parchment, and sent to the oven, heated to 70-80 ° C, while the door remains slightly open.

Drying lasts about an hour & mdash; to check, it is enough to pull out one of the stems, evaluating it for fragility. The baking sheet moves to a dry and purged place for a day, which eliminates the formation of mold. An opaque glass jar or paper bags are used for storage.

How to freeze mint

Another storage option & mdash; freezing. In this case, it is enough to rinse and dry the material, fold it into a plastic bag with a fastener, and send it to the freezer.

If you prefer more recent and exotic solutions & mdash; you can grind the leaves, pour them into an ice mold and pour water over them. When needed, ready-made supplies are used to add to tea or cocktails, ensuring summer freshness at any time of the year.

Conclusion

So now you know how to properly brew delicious and healthy mint tea.

It is worth noting that the plant works well with a wide variety of components, and emphasizes the delicate taste of any brew presented in the catalog & laquo; Russian Tea Company & raquo;. Choose the right variety and enjoy a fresh and invigorating drink all year round!