Make Your Own Green Tea Mints - November 6, 2010

Make Your Own Green Tea Mints

If you've been standing in a check-out line recently at any supermarket, you've probably noticed the phenomenon of green tea mints in small designer tins. You may have been tempted to throw one on top of your pile of groceries, but upon closer inspection, it's pretty clear that most of these mints have very little to do with green tea. However, the principle of green tea mints sounds tasty and intriguing - we drink peppermint tea and sometimes add fresh crushed mint leaves to our favorite varieties, so why not give green tea mints a try? You'll have fresh breath, enjoy the effects of antioxidants, and even have ready-made gifts for friends if you can find some fun tins that will hold your mints. You can try the following recipe to make your mints and, of course, feel free to experiment. The simplicity of this recipe will allow you to be as bold or as subtle with the tea and mint flavors as you like.

What to Gather

- Teajo Tea Filters
- Teajo Green Sencha Loose Tea
- Water
- 1 Cup Granulated
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- Peppermint Extract

What to Do

First, you'll need to make a green tea reduction. Heat one or two cups of water in a small saucepan until it starts to simmer, then remove it from the heat and add a tea filter with some green sencha leaves. This tea is recommendable because of its natural mild sweetness, and you can use as much or as little as you'd like. Next, cover the saucepan with cling-wrap to intensify the steeping period, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Once you've done this, remove the tea filter and return your saucepan to the stovetop. Boil the tea until you have just enough to measure four tablespoons.
Add the granulated sugar to the four tablespoons of tea reduction and bring the mixture to a boil. Next, add the powdered sugar and peppermint extract to taste. Drop your mints onto sheets of waxed paper, trying to maintain a uniformly round shape. Once the mixture cools, this will become more difficult and you might want to warm it up again. The best course of action is to drop your mints as quickly as possible. Wait for your mints to cool and you'll be able to peel them off of the waxed paper easily.

Storing Your Mints

Most craft stores offer "favor tins" in a variety of shapes, and some even come with small decorative labels that you can use to personalize tins for friends. They can often be found with wedding and reception items, and if you come up empty-handed, you can always ask an employee about them. While you're there, you can even purchase some ribbon to tie around your mint tins, making them even more festive. Your friends will be delighted to receive them as a gift.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is a passionate blogger on the topic of education and free college scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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