Making Fresh Mint Tea

Years ago, before I formed any prejudices carried into adulthood, before I came to love science and food and learning, before I had any well-defined hobbies at all, there was a transformative glass of mint tea.  Those days were filled with exploring the landlady's backyard.  I wrecked flower beds and made 75 percent imaginary stick forts to ward off opponents unseen.  I tried to catch squirrels and rabbits and groundhogs all the while avoiding the graveyard behind the landlady's property.  Up until that point, tea was a hot, bitter, acidic concoction that my giant of a father drank while reading a book.  Or a newspaper.  He was always reading.

I remember there was a patch of garden I was particularly fond of behind a white wooden shed with green window frames and roofing.  In that patch grew tall stalks of mint.  Actually, those stalks were probably not that tall , but I was a very short child.  I enjoyed going to that patch to bruise a leaf and take a strong whiff of mint.  I was fascinated that the scent exhaled by this plant matched the taste of those red and white starlight mints.  What a curious plant, I thought.

A few months later, the landlady invited me to her home.  And it was there that I had my first glass of home brewed mint tea.  It was surprisingly good, with notes of mint that were prominent but not overpowering like those in chewing gum and candies.  I also remember that the tea was a striking green color, and I did not make the connection to my favorite playing-plants until the landlady showed me the used leaves and stalks.  How fascinating that was.  A pleasant tasting tea brewed directly from plants that were alive just moments ago.  Nothing like the dark loose-leaf brew that left stains on my father's white mugs.

Come to think of it, the tea was probably not that noteworthy, but it made an impression on me such that it has occupied a node in my memories for the last eighteen years.  So it is with fondness that I brewed my own mint tea with leaves that I bought for another dessert (which I incidentally botched).  Given that it is summer, I let the tea cool and made iced tea.

1 bundle fresh stalks of mint, rinsed

1 pitcher of water

10-15 drops of lemon (or lime) juice

2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

1. Boil the pitcher of water in a pot and then immediately shut off the heat.
2. Set aside a few (4 to 5) stalks of mint.  Bruise the remaining stalks by rubbing the bundle between your palms and steep the stalks in hot water for 15+ minutes.  Fresh mint tea will not become bitter even if you steep for a very long time.
3. Remove the used mint leaves and add lemon (or lime) juice.  Stir in honey while the tea is hot.
4. Allow the tea to cool to approximately room temperature and pour into the pitcher.  Add remaining stalks of mint set aside earlier and refrigerate the tea.