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Serves
about six 8-ounce glasses
Author Notes
I keep a container of this concentrate in my fridge almost all the time. It's a refreshing, envigorating way to use up an abundance of spring mint. - vvvanessa —vvvanessa
Test Kitchen Notes
A cinch to make and super-refreshing, vvvanessa's minty iced tea will be a staple in my fridge this summer. The instructions are specific enough for those of us who've never muddled mint; the blunt utensil advice is key. I'm not a fan of sweetened iced tea, so I used the minimum amount of sugar called for (1 tablespoon) and may try eliminating it next time I make a batch. Nonetheless, I highly recommend the minty method, a great way to add some cool zing to any iced tea. - Midge —The Editors
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Ingredients
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3 cups
water
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8
bags of gunpowder green tea
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1 cup
fresh mint leaves, washed and dried with thick stems removed
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1-3 tablespoons
sugar, preferably turbinado
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ice
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optional: reserved mint leaves for garnish
Directions
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Place the teabags in a heat-proof vessel that holds at least 4 cups of liquid. A large measuring cup works especially well for this.
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Set the water to boil. Just as it comes to a boil, cut the heat. Pour the hot water over the teabags and let them steep for 5-7 minutes. Take care not to oversteep the tea so that it does not become bitter.
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While the tea is brewing, take a plastic quart container (like the kind you'd get at a deli when you order potato salad). Add in the mint and sugar.
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Muddle the mint and sugar using either a muddler (a small, baseball bat-like bartending tool used for mashing stuff together) or some other blunt utensil, like the handle end of a wooden spoon. The goal here is to bruise and tear the leaves; the sugar will help to act as an abrasive.
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When the mint is nice and mashed up (it doesn't need to be as ground up as, say, pesto, but the leaves should be mostly darkened and roughly torn up), pour the tea over it and let it come to room temperature. Don't strain it.
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Cover and keep in the fridge. When you're ready, fill a tall glass with ice (there's just something about iced tea in a tall glass). Add a 50/50 mix of cold water and tea concentrate. Stir. Garnish if you're inclined.
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Chug-a-lug.
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