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Mint is a refreshing ingredient to any drink on a melting hot day.  In the category of superfoods, mint is a superstar. For centuries now, mint is known for multiple ailments: nausea, headache, acne, digestion, skincare, asthma, fresh breath and so on.  It also grows bountifully in a garden patch all year long.  Combine this verdant herb with black tea and you have yourself a summer power drink. 

Here's a mint infused sun tea recipe that will keep you cool as a cucumber all summer long! 

Garden Mint Sun Tea.

Ingredients:

5 heaping tablespoons of loose leaf black tea (Organic Darjeeling)

8 cups of filtered water

Large glass pitcher with lid

1 cup of fresh garden mint, crushed and thoroughly washed

Lemon rinds

A hot and bright sunny, summer day

Directions:

Combin all ingredients in a glass pitcher and cover with the lid.  Set in sun for 6 to 8 hours. Add desired sweetener if necessary.

I have a confession to make. Prior to meeting my southern husband, I have never heard of Sun Tea before. When he found this out, he had the most quizzical expression on his face as if he saw something in my teeth and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe.

And so I got the lecture.  "Sun Tea", he proclaimed, "is part of what bonds children with their mothers, is what makes childhood memories everlasting, it's what no child should ever be deprived of, otherwise its a childhood not worth having..."  OK, maybe I am exaggerating the lecture a little bit. 

So in order to save my marriage, I embarked on a Sun Tea journey to discover everything I can about this mysteriously fascinating summer liquid. I phoned the in-laws of the south for ole' fashioned recipes,  I scoured the Internet for variety of recipes, I researched recent safety concerns in the making of Sun Tea and experimented in my own backyard to bring you this very thesis on Sun Tea.

To begin, here are some basic ground rules in preparing to make Sun Tea:

1. Watch Out for Bacteria.  If you ask the new-timers, the process of making Sun Tea can form a bacteria that can be harmful to your health. If you ask the ole-timers, a lil' bit of bacteria ain't hurt no body! The issue is that using the sun's rays to make tea can facillitate bacteria called alcaligenes viscolactis, according to the Center of Disease Control. Tea steeped in a jar on your porch won't get any hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to truly kill germs, water needs to be heated at 195 degrees F for 3-5 minutes.

To appease both the old school and the new school of thought, it's best to avoid risk yet without stripping yourselves from fond childhood memories by doing the following:

a) Use a sterilized glass container (more about glass below)

b)  Use a strainer after steeping Sun Tea to rid of any aliens in it.

c) Simply toss the tea away if you see foamy, syrupy substances or any weird-looking strands.

2. Use a Glass Pot. According to recent studies, plastic containers may be adding harmful chemicals to the liquids they contain. The procedure speeds up if the liquid bottle in plastic is left in the sun for a long time. Bottles exposed to the sun in the research showed traces of carcinogenic and neurotoxic substances.

3. Use Filtered Water.  Tap water typically contains unknown substances that without a full boil may be harmful to your health. Another cleaner and safer method to make Sun Tea is to use filtered water instead. This will also enhance the flavor of the tea itself.

4. Use Loose Leaf Tea.  Even though most of the traditional recipes utilize tea bags, I prefer to use fresh ingredients wherever I can. Tea bags to me are akin to buying pre-ground coffee in a can where the freshness is compromised. 

5. Be Creative.  Add your favorite citrus rinds and/or garden herbs to your own batch of Sun Tea.   

5. Refrigerate immediately after use.  Throw out any leftover tea after 3 days.

Blooming tea is a visually enticing experience. Hand rolled, tea leaves are bundled up together with various flowers into many different shapes.  Not only is blooming tea easy to prepare, its dancing leaves will draw center of attention to any summer party.

Ingredients:

1. One blooming or flowering tea ball

2. Filtered water

3. Medium to large see-through teapot

Directions:

Bring the filtered water to an almost boil (about 170 degrees).  Pour the hot water into the clear teapot containing the blooming tea ball. Watch the tea ball unravel into a flowery design.  Steep for at least 15 minutes.  Pour liquid into a teacup and drink. Add sweetener if desired.

Tips:

Blooming tea is typically made of Silver Needle white tea. Silver needle can be steeped for a longer period than green or black for added flavor without tasting bitter.  However, once steeped to desired taste, remove liquid from bloom for later use. In addition, fruit preserves are highly recommended as sweeteners rather than sugar. These can be purchased at your local ethnic grocery store.  Some great combinations are rose petal preserves or date preserves.

Here is a fantastic "dessert in a cup" recipe with our favorite tisane, Fruity Dream. This drink is also the best way to maintain your hard earned figure for the summer without sacrificing taste.

Ingredients (per serving):

1. One heaping tablespoon of Fruity Dream herbal tisane

2. One teaspoon of honey

3. One cup boiled filtered water

4. Ice, cubed or crushed

5. Whipping cream

Combine tea and honey in a teapot. Add filtered water, just below boiling temperature and steep for 4 minutes. Stir until honey dissolves.  Strain brewed tea mixture over ice in a blender. Blend to your desired thickness. Serve with whipping cream on top or a grapefruit slice garnish to really live it up.

Where would we be in the deadly summer heat without a tall glass of iced tea? This next series will explore the various methods of cooling off with some creative ways of utilizing tea. The first entry was actually inspired by a billboard I noticed while driving around town. It was an ad from McDonald's introducing their newest beverage: sweet iced tea. This prompted me to share with ya'll my Texan mother-in-law's amazing sweet tea recipe that she serves with every meal called Orange Mint Iced Tea.

Southerners serve sweet iced tea year round at home and even in restaurants.  When Southerners order tea in a restaurant, chances are they will get sweet ice tea. What's interesting is outside of the southern states, iced tea is typically served unsweetened or “black,” and most people have never heard of sweet tea.  What's genius about my mother-in-law's recipe is that its sweet factor is not so overpowering to make your face curl.  In fact, one sip of this refreshing "air-conditioner in a cup" and your sure to be hooked!

Orange Mint Iced Tea Recipe:

1. Pour 6 cups of boiling water over 1 cup of fresh mint leaves or one tablespoon of Morrocan Mint Tea.

2. Let steep for 15 minutes.

3. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup reconstituted orange juice.

4. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!