DIRECTIONS on How to Dry Mint Leaves for Mint Tea! These DIY How to Make Mint Tea instructions shows how easy it is to dry mint leaves so you can make your own homemade peppermint tea. I store this dried mint tea for months so I can enjoy the health benefits year round!
How to Make Homemade Mint Tea
If your garden is overflowing with mint (it happens to the best of us!), drying it for tea is the perfect way to make sure none of it goes to waste. This easy method transforms fresh mint leaves into flavorful dried tea leaves you can enjoy all year long. Plus, it’s a great way to preserve that refreshing minty aroma long after summer’s over.
When you have too much mint growing, turning it into homemade mint tea is one of the simplest and most rewarding solutions. You’ll learn how to pick, dry, and store your mint so it keeps its flavor and freshness for months. Enjoy a soothing cup of mint tea whenever you like — it’s delicious hot, iced, or mixed with other herbs for your own custom tea blends.
Looking for more garden blend teas? Try my Cucumber Peppermint Tea and Tomato Tea next!
How to Dry Mint Leaves
It’s as simple as spreading a layer of fresh mint on a cookie sheet. Here’s a before and after of drying mint.
Set the oven on a low enough temp and let it sit for 2-3 hours.
Crumble it up and store it in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
How much dried mint for tea?
To make a single cup of mint tea, use a teaspoon of dried mint. Let steep for 3 minutes in hot water.
And now you know how to make peppermint tea! Enjoy!
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How to Make Mint Tea
PrintIngredients
- Fresh Mint
Instructions
- Pick mint, clean if needed. If cleaning, make sure to dry mint completely, I like to let it sit overnight.
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees F.
- Place mint in one layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake mint for 2-3 hours. Check at the 2 hour mark to see if mint is completely dry. If not, check every 15 minutes.
- Once out of the oven take mint and crumble leaves into a container. Store in jar, preferably in a dry dark cabinet shelf.
- When using for tea, use one teaspoon of dried mint leaves and steep for 3 minutes in hot water.
Elaine says
If you live in Arizona, wash your mint first, pat dry, layer in a pie tin or cookie sheet and cover with cheesecloth to keep the bugs off. I put a rock on my tin so the wind doesn’t blow it off my table. Leave it outside until dried, usually 24 hours or so. We have very low humidity so this is a no cost method.
Deb says
I just stuff the whole dried leaves without even scrunching them up into my cup infuser and let it steep til it tastes just right! I must be using a lot more than a teaspoon but that’s how I like it – very minty & relaxing – and if you are stuffed up it helps for that as well!
pamela quiobo says
Thanks for the tips. Awesome!
Pamela Reed says
So happy you liked them, enjoy the mint tea! 🙂
Joan says
I used my dehydrator mode on my toaster oven and they dried in 2 hours. My mint grows like a weed in my organic vegetable garden. Add some dry green tea leaves and it’s similar to Moroccan mint tea I use to buy. I make ice tea with my infuser tea maker.
Pamela Reed says
Thanks for stopping by Joan! That sounds like such a great Summer drink!
Tina G. says
Do you cook for 3 hours or 3 minutes ? Prep time at the top says cooking time 3 minutes. In the instructions it says 3 hours. which is it ?
Pamela says
Hey Tina, sorry for the confusion, but the answer is both. 🙂 You put it in the oven for 2-3 hours to dry, and then you steep the mint for tea for 3 minutes. Hope this helps!
Belle says
Is this 170 degrees Celcius or Fahrenheit?
Pamela says
Hi Belle, it’s 170 degrees F.