#theteamaven

[andishallemerge]

I really need to update my tea blog....

[theteamaven]

Recipe: Black with Mint

I like mint tea blends. Spearmint mint tea blends -- peppermint leaves too much of a starlight mint candy in my mouth. Unfortunately, most mint tisanes and tea blends are peppermint. I'm left with just two easily-available choices -- Bigelow Plantation Mint (black, bag) and Moroccan Mint (green, loose-leaf).

Well, since I prefer loose-leaf and black teas, I've been forced to compromise. I set out to remedy this by blending my own.

I bought a half-pound of Lipton "loose-leaf" tea (yes, they actually do make this, and it is better than the bagged version) and some spearmint.

Spearmint was only available fresh at my grocery store (they did have dried 'mint', which usually means a blend of spearmint, peppermint, and watermint) If it didn't say 'spearmint', I wasn't going to use it.

First, I stripped the leaves from the stems, then allowed the leaves to dry out for 48 hours (you can use a dehydrater to accelerate the process). Once dry, I crushed the leaves into small flakes, but not dust. Finally, mix the spearmint  leaves and the Lipton together, using about a 1:6 ratio of mint to tea.

Use 1 LEVEL teaspoon per cup, and steep no longer than 2 minutes with boiling water. The Lipton tea is mostly fannings, so it brews FAST. More than a teaspoon, and you end up with a very, very dark tea. More than two minutes, and your tea will be bitter and undrinkable. Also, be sure to use either a fine mesh strainer, or a fillable tea bag, as the fannings will go through a coarser strainer that works fine for true loose-leaf teas.

You can also use dried spearmint, but in my experience the pre-dried leaves tend to have a slight musky taste that distracts. It may have been the fault of the producer, or the specific strain of spearmint, but I've never had any issues with either home-grown or store-bought fresh spearmint.

I may adjust the down to 1:4 next time I mix some up, but overall, the 1:6 ratio gave me a decent, mellow tea with a little minty zing -- perfect for any time of day. Using a higher-quality tea as the base would obviously improve results, but I figured I'd try with the Lipton first (basically cost controls while experimenting.) This blend can also be served Iced (garnish with fresh mint for that wow factor if you are entertaining anyone), and goes well with a bit of honey and brandy for those cold winter nights.