After a decade of love/hate with peppermint teas, I finally decided to get my shit together and find a preparation that works for me. No more gross cups of stewed peppermint, ok?
1) Never buy peppermint teabags again. Ever. Buy the freshest, largest, dried leaf I can find at the co-op.
2) Use way less leaf than what’s in the bags – half teaspoon per coffee mug, that’s it.
3) Not every tisane needs boiling water, despite the directions printed on boxes by the faceless herbal tea gurus. I’m not going to die from bacteria and fungi on dried plant matter. 160-175F is good. Bonus: I don’t have to wait for it to cool enough to drink.
4) 10-15 minute steep times? Try 1 minute, 1.5 if I want it stronger. I don’t care about extracting every last molecule of peppermint oil. I’d rather have a good tasting cup.
5) Enjoy a very light, sweet peppermint tea without the stewed flavor, burps or scratchy throat.
Next project: chamomile.
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I need to heed this advice. I’ve had so many peppermint teas that came out tasting like pickles or spinach.
This is pretty much how I am with straight lavender, one of my favorite things. I only need about half a gram (if that!) of nice Farmer’s Market lavender buds and they don’t need to be steeped very long at all or they taste floral-bitter and nasty. But steeped right? Beautiful. And I love a nice lavender tea mixed with a bit of warm coconut milk, too.
I only drink fresh mint tea. My favourite combination is with some turmeric (ideally fresh as well), lemon/lime skins and sometimes (depending on the mood) a pinch of brown sugar.
Mastress Alita, I remember reading about that in one of your reviews in the past few months. That’s what prompted my quest, so thanks.
Togo, I’ll have to give that a try maybe with some fresh spearmint since that is widely available here.
I need to heed this advice. I’ve had so many peppermint teas that came out tasting like pickles or spinach.
This is pretty much how I am with straight lavender, one of my favorite things. I only need about half a gram (if that!) of nice Farmer’s Market lavender buds and they don’t need to be steeped very long at all or they taste floral-bitter and nasty. But steeped right? Beautiful. And I love a nice lavender tea mixed with a bit of warm coconut milk, too.
I only drink fresh mint tea. My favourite combination is with some turmeric (ideally fresh as well), lemon/lime skins and sometimes (depending on the mood) a pinch of brown sugar.
Mastress Alita, I remember reading about that in one of your reviews in the past few months. That’s what prompted my quest, so thanks.
Togo, I’ll have to give that a try maybe with some fresh spearmint since that is widely available here.