marilynpeight
This Amish Apple mint tea, aka meadow tea, is very refreshing as an iced drink in the summer and is quite popular among the Amish and Mennonites. If you are a Beverly Lewis fan and have recently watched “The Shunning,” you may have noticed they drink a lot of hot mint tea. This recipe includes both the hot and iced method. Keep scrolling below the recipe if you would like this former Amish girl’s honest review of “The Shunning.”
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Amish Apple mint tea
Ingredients
Iced Apple mint tea:
- 5 cups Apple mint tea leaves *see note below
- 8 cups water divided
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (to taste)
- Ice
Hot Apple mint tea:
- 5 cups Apple mint tea leaves
- 6 cups water
- sugar to taste
Instructions
Iced Apple Mint tea:
- Wash tea well and place in a colander to drain. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 3-4 quart sauce pan, then remove from the heat and immediately add the tea leaves. Submerge the tea leaves in the hot water with a spoon, then cover with a lid and allow to set for 40-45 minutes.
- Once the tea has steeped, place a large sieve over a half gallon pitcher and pour the tea over top to strain. Press the tea leaves gently with a spoon to drain the remaining liquid, then discard the leaves. Add sugar to the warm meadow tea concentrate and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining two cups of water and stir again. Refrigerate until chilled and serve over Ice.
Hot apple mint tea:
- Bring 6 cups water to a boil, then remove from the heat and add the tea leaves. Steep the tea for 10 minutes, then strain the tea leaves and pour into 8 oz. tea cups. Add a teaspoon or two of sugar to each cup of tea (to taste). Enjoy!
Notes
Try serving this iced tea to your guests with my grandmother’s M&M cookies or Amish seasoned pretzels!
Tea steeping process.
*Notes.
I like to use only the tops of my apple mint tea. To harvest the tea, I cut off the stem after 2-3 layers of leaves. To save time I actually throw leaves, stem and all in the hot water after washing them. I honestly can’t remember if it was my mom or grandmother who taught me this, but it seems to work well. If you like to be precise you can remove the leaves from the stems.
I don’t know if there is a set recipe for Apple mint tea. My mother always said throw a handful of tea leaves in and let it steep, then somehow it will turn out right, and honestly, her tea was always perfect! You can adjust the amounts of water and sugar to your preference as this recipe is meant to be a general guide based on how my family likes to drink the meadow tea.
Fresh Apple Mint tea, passed on to me from my Mother-in-law. This patch started out (a few years ago) as a handful of plants and has now morphed into a gigantic and somewhat unruly patch. You should be able to find apple mint tea plants with the herb section at your local green houses.
My Review of “The Shunning.”👇
I stumbled upon “The Shunning” while searching for something to watch on TV last weekend. I felt like I was being transported back in time as I watched Katie climb up into the hayloft, and was flooded with memories of building hay forts with my Aunt and Uncle (the last two kids from a Bishop’s family of 12) who were only 3 and 5 years older than I. However, I was brought to a quick reality check when Katie turned around and I noticed her bright red lipstick and dark eyes. Makeup and wedding rings were a huge “no-no” in the Amish church that I grew up in (which was similar to the one portrayed in the movie), and only the occasional rebellious “rumspringa” (youth who are not members of the church, of age 16 or older) would dare come to church with a touch of mascara on her lashes. Other than those minor dress blunders and a unique accent, I thought they did an excellent job of portraying the Amish lifestyle and the shunning experience!
Let me know what you think of the movie or tea in the comments.❤️
Where do I get tea leaves
I usually find mine at a local green house and it is pretty hardy after it gets established. Just ask for Apple mint tea. Hope you can find it in your area!