Mint-Lime Iced Tea
Mint-Lime Iced Tea brings cups water, mint tea bags and the rest of the crew together in a recipe that is practical enough for a normal kitchen but still has enough personality to avoid tasting like committee food.
What It Is
This drink will make all things minty fresh and a refresher on hot summer nights. Mint tea, lime and sparkling water for weather that has become personally offensive.
Origin
This version is connected to for this recipe.. I keep that connection as part of the recipe’s personality without pretending every dish arrived with a notarized birth certificate.
Fun Fact
The cookbook version really does pair 4 cups water with 4 mint tea bags. That combination comes straight from the original recipe, not from a late-night refrigerator séance.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 mint tea bags
- 8 tsp lime juice
- 4 half-slices lime, for garnish
- 4 sprigs fresh mint, optional
- Vanilla coffee syrup, agave syrup or honey, optional
- Crushed ice, optional
- 2 cups sparkling water
Steps
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil, remove from heat and steep the mint tea bags for 10 minutes.
- Discard tea bags and refrigerate the tea for at least 3 hours.
- Fill a chilled glass with crushed ice, tea, sweetener if desired and lime juice.
- Add sparkling water, stir and garnish with mint and lime.
Notes
Taste near the end and adjust. Salt, acid and heat are much easier to add than remove, despite what some of my more enthusiastic recipes occasionally imply.
Substitutions
No specific substitution note is given in the cookbook. Spoon & Scribble option: adjust sweetness to taste and swap similar fresh fruit or sparkling water where it keeps the same basic drink.
Storage
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container. Keep crisp garnishes separate whenever possible so tomorrow’s lunch does not become damp architecture.
Freezing
Freeze cooked components in meal-sized airtight portions where practical. Dairy-heavy sauces and fresh garnishes may change texture, so add those fresh after reheating when possible.