Ginger Mint Tisane

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging begun by Kalyns Kitchen and hosted this week - January 8-14 by Coffeepot of Coffee & Cornbread.


A tisane is an infusion of herbs, spices and fruits or flowers steeped in hot water. It is then strained and sweetened and is served warm or cold. My tisane uses fresh ginger, mint, lemon juice and honey. Ginger and mint are readily available in the produce section of your local grocery store.

If you are reading this blog and you love food, then you are more than likely well informed about the different forms ginger can take-fresh, dried and ground, crystallized, pickled and preserved. What you may not know is that ginger has many medicinal uses. So maybe a piece of ginger in some form a day may supplant the old proverb that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". For further reading on the benefits of ginger - Ginger, Your Food is Your Medicine.



Ingredients
Serves 6

6 cups water
1/4 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves-I used spearmint
6 tablespoons honey
For garnish-1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Bring to boil in a large saucepan, water, lemon juice and ginger. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add mint and steep for 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher or jar and press lightly to extract juice from mint and ginger. Discard mint and ginger. Stir in honey. Can be served hot or cold with the lemon wedge.

Recipe from Mayo Clinic