Maxx drinks tea while Maddie surprises everyone with more tea. How did she get behind the chair? No one knows.
How To Dry Mint For Tea
By Laura Killingbeck
Mint grows like a weed and tastes like a dream. It’s easy to dry and store. This is the perfect herb to enjoy throughout the year as fragrant, homemade tea.
What is Dehydration?
Warmth + air flow = dehydration. That’s it. When warm air flows over a piece of cut mint, it draws moisture from the mint’s interior. Eventually the mint’s internal water reaches the edge, merges with the air, and dissipates into the sky. Then it becomes a cloud. So basically any time you dry things, you are making clouds. Congratulations and well done!
It would take a lot of dehydration to make clouds this big, but if you work at it, you could do it.
How to Dry Mint forTea
There are many ways to dry mint. As long as you combine the right amount of warmth with enough air flow, mint will dry easily within 1-5 days. Mint is sensitive to high temperatures and direct sunlight. Dry in a dark place at room temperature or up to 110 degrees fahrenheit. The mint is fully dried when the leaves break easily in your fingers.
This season, I pruned back our mint and bundled it with string. I hung the bundles in a nook inside the chair closet.
Mint hanging in the closet in the classroom which is also where we store chairs.
How to Store Dried Mint Tea
Store whole mint leaves in a glass jar in a cool, dry, place, for up to a year. Crush the leaves with your fingers just before using.
Freshly dried mint.
How to Brew Dried Mint Tea
Brew mint tea at a ratio of one tablespoon dried, crushed mint per cup of water. Bring water to a boil and pour it over the mint. Let steep for five minutes. Strain and enjoy.
There are many ways to strain mint tea. Some people use stainless steel tea balls or cloth sacks. I prefer a stainless steel mesh strainer that fits on top of a mug or mason jar. I find this method easy to use and easy to clean.
This is how I brew mint tea with a stainless steel strainer.
Medicinal Benefits of Mint Tea
Mint is a fragrant, invigorating, and balancing herb. People drink mint tea to ease digestion, soothe stress, and improve focus. Read more about peppermint’s uses at the American Botanical Council.
Other uses for dried mint:
–Brew hot and add a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of honey
–Use as a base for hot chocolate
–Brew, cool, and drink as a cold beverage
–Use as a base for lemonade
–Makes a great gift for any occasion
–Mix with dried rose petals to make mint-rose tea.
