Fresh Mint Iced Tea 🌿

Fresh mint iced tea is the freshest, most delicious summer treat that just fills me with joy. I live in a relatively rural county, and one of my favorite things about it is that we have a bunch of little farm stands around that sell local produce and other goods. One of my favorite things to get from the farm stands is a glass of fresh mint iced tea - it is SO refreshing and flavorful, better than any traditional iced tea (yeah, I said it!!)

Last week, my mom and I made a run to one of our go-to farm stands and my mom saw that they were selling big bags of fresh mint for tea. We've never made it ourselves, so we had to try it! My mom asked the woman who owns the farm stand specifically how she makes her tea to make sure we got it right. 

My mom made the tea the next evening and gave me a big jar of it, and as soon as I tasted it, my heart sang. It is truly summer in a glass! The tea that we've bought in the past has always been sweetened, but my mom left hers unsweetened and it tastes just as good that way to me. It's fresh and vibrantly green and so yummy to sip on on a hot summer afternoon!

This recipe makes a gallon of tea, so be sure to halve everything if you plan on making it in a smaller container. 

Fresh Mint Iced Tea

Makes 1 gallon

Ingredients:

• 4 packed cups fresh mint leaves, washed (they can be left on the stems)
  
• 6-8 cups boiling water
• Cold water and ice
• Sugar or honey, optional
  
  

Directions: 

1. Fill a kettle or pot with 6-8 cups water and put it over high heat to boil. In the meantime, put your mint leaves into a heat-safe measuring cup, pitcher, or jar.
   
2. Once your water boils, pour it over the mint leaves and allow the tea to steep for 4 to 5 minutes (set a timer!)
3. When the tea is done steeping, strain the it through a colander or sieve into a heat safe gallon pitcher or jar to remove the mint leaves. Alternately, you can use tongs to remove the mint leaves and discard them. 
4. Sweeten the tea with sugar or honey if desired. 
5. Top the tea with cold water and ice. Serve cold! This tea will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.
   
   

Let me know if you make a batch of this iced mint tea this weekend, it is such a treat!

xoxx, Laura