Fresh Mint Herbal Tea

Today I want to share with you a fun project I did this past week. I found the idea in Martha Stewart's magazine and it was so simple: just put some herbs in a wooden box and then you have herbal tea at your disposal! I love love love loose leaf tea, so I had to try this! I started out with just mint but I think in the fall when the herbs come out I will try planting rose geranium, pineapple sage and lavender.



 



Thankfully, my boyfriend had some mint growing in his garden and let me take some for myself! To achieve this delicious tea I just pick some leaves off and let them dry out for a day or two and then steep for a few minutes in hot water. I bet the mint leaves freshly picked would be a nice refresher in some ice cold water. 



 

As I almost gave up on my search for a wooden box for my fresh herbs I found this simple box at a flea market. I designed a logo for it on photoshop, then copied that to paper then took the method I learned in fourth grade of shading the back of the paper with pencil then tracing over it…which leaves a faint line that is easy to paint over. 

I'm not a gardner in any sense, even the easiest plants I seem to kill so here are some tips I gathered from different sources about growing and maintaining a herb mint plant

-Keep your mint in a large box or container because it has vigorous growth patterns and tends to spread very fast. 

-Place box in sun with partial shade, this can be inside! If kept in the direct sun, keep it watered.

-It is easier to buy your mint plant already grown and then plant it into your own box. If you start a plant from seeds, its best to start in late spring or seed indoors about 8-10 weeks before the last frost.

-Mature mint can be divided and transplanted, so then you can share the tea wealth with friends!

-Before drying, clean leaves with water (not hot- because it will steep!) to get rid of small bugs and dirt.

-Snip sprigs and leaves as needed, then dry and drink:)

-I keep my dried leaves in a mason jar to save for later and to keep the plant from becoming overgrown and invasive.

-There are many other uses for using your mint plant like: soups, deserts, great smelling breath;), and garnishes!

 

If you would like to read more about mint plants and its many uses, you can read more here.

**All information is gathered from my boyfriend Brandon Cook, Martha Stewart and About Gardening. 

There are few things greater than drinking something you know you planted and took care of (ok, in my case I didn't plant it-I just put it in its own box) 

Are you a tea or a coffee enthusiast? 

-C