An herb garden overflowing with mint, is the perfect health opportunity to steep macerated mint for a refreshing Sparkling Mint Water!
Health Benefits Of Mint Water
The herb we know as mint, has long been known for its multiple health benefits.
- Digestive aid – while food is often the culprit to digestive problems, particularly foods that do not pass through the stomach easily, mint has proven an aid in moving the food along quicker.
- Mental clarity – inhaling the essence of mint provides a sudden cleansing through the nasal passages that the brain registers as well.
- Hydration – mint, in and of itself, does not aid in hydrating the body but when infused into water, the refreshing flavor makes drinking larger amounts of water, then we may like to drink, easier.
Mint Garden
You do not need a large garden or yard to grow mint! In fact, since mint grows so aggressively, it is actually better to contain its growth in a pot.
From small window pots to deck and patio pots, mint grows vigorously in these conditions.
If you plant mint in your garden, alongside of other herbs or veggies, you will need to keep an eye on it, pulling up the mint that decides to spread, otherwise it can take over the garden.
What Type Of Mint?
There are so many varieties of mint to choose from. Peppermint is very strong in the menthol flavor.
Spearmint is a little sweeter in mint flavor. For this reason, many chewing gums are made with spearmint.
But by all means, experiment with the many varieties of mint, such as chocolate mint, which doesn’t taste like chocolate but the leaves look as thought they were dipped in chocolate, or even apple mint.
Mint Insect Repellant
While spearmint and peppermint are known to repel mosquitos many other types of mint will even repel flies and ants.
If you live in an area that has ‘stink bugs’, mint water sprayed inside the window frames may help repel them from entering the house.
Healthy Sparkling Mint Water
Healthy sips are really all about the water. How many ounces of water do you drink per day? Let’s face it, we never drink as much as our body needs.
Often we find ourselves drinking some type of water with sweeteners in them; like tea, coffee or sodas.
Usually the reason we don’t drink more water is simply because of the taste. Our tastebuds tell us we want flavor.
With mint water, we will get the flavor we want without the unhealthy calories.
With sparkling mint water, we will trick our brain into thinking it’s a soda or special drink, when it’s really just water.
Sparkling Water
Sparkling water makes a simple glass of water feel and taste special. Why? The bubbles, the carbonation.
It is believed that carbonated water may even enhance digestion. Sparkling water will also help curb an appetite.
We do, however, want to choose a sparkling water that is low in sodium or none. Simply check the can or bottle and it will indicate the sodium content.
Several sparkling water brands are naturally sparkling mineral waters, so check for those too if you want to avoided the added carbonation.
How To Make Mint Water Sparkling
When making mint tea, the leaves are boiled, then left to steep, to intensify the flavor. The color is distinctly altered, which may not be as appealing in a cold drink.
Mint water is made simply by finely chopping or crushing the fresh mint leaves and left to steep in a cold cup of water.
Once the leaves have remained in a cup of cold water for about half-an-hour, the leaves are removed, adding the mint flavor without changing the color of the water to the deep brown or green that mint tea has.
Pour this mint extract water over ice, add sparkling water, a few fresh mint leaves and you’ve got a delicious, refreshing healthy summertime drink!
The Naughty Side Of Mint
Because mint has a way of tricking out brain into thinking of it in ‘health and wellness’ terms, many forms of mint have found their way into foods and sweet treats we like to eat.
When my kids were growing up, and mint chocolate chip ice cream became popular, I discovered how much I loved the clean, freshness of mint with a bit of naughty chocolate.
For this reason, I became making indulgences with the combo, like my Chocolate Peppermint Bark, after the holidays, with leftover candy canes.
Those candy canes didn’t stop there, as I save some for a Fudge Peppermint Vodka Cake, and Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cocktail, so as not to waste the holiday candy, ‘wink’! See how frugal I am!
More Mint In My Kitchen!
But it didn’t stop there, especially since I go a bit overboard in the summertime with my Garden To Table, gardens.
One must have a Lemon Mint Scone with afternoon tea, and for sure when we fire up the grill for Kabobs, I made a scrumptious Cucumber Yogurt Tzatziki, always with my mint.
So you see the naughty trouble I get myself into when I plant just a little mint in my yard, intended for a healthy summertime sparkling mint water!
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh mint
- Tap water
- Sparkling water
- Ice
Equipment Needed
- Small bowl
- Measuring cup
- Small spoon
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Tall glasses or wine glasses
Sparkling Mint Water
Equipment
- 2 Serving glasses
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mint finely chopped, extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup Tap Water
- 1 tbsp Agave optional
- 2 16 oz Sparkling water bottles chilled
- 1 cup Ice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, macerate (crush), the finely chopped mint in tap water for 30-minutes; pressing the mint with the back of a spoon to release its oils and flavor into the water. Strain.If adding agave, whisk that in now.
- Into two tall glasses, divide the strained mint water into 2 glasses. Add the ice and our the chilled sparkling water into both glasses and top with fresh sprigs of mint. Enjoy the refreshing sips!
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.