Another Not-Recipe: Mint Ice

[chasingtides]

This is another not-recipe, but is delicious and refreshing anyway.

On hot, hot summer days, I can get dehydrated very easily and on the hottest days, plain water is fairly unappealing (and sweet drinks are just blech when it's hot and steamy). Water with a little lemon or lime can give you a little zing and so can seltzer water.

However, I prefer this for a refreshing summer beverage.

Make a pot of mint tea. It can be any kind of mint - and ginger would work well for this too - but you want to make sure it doesn't have any licorice or anything else in it. Today I used Stash's Peppermint Tea because that was what was in the cabinet, but your grocery store should have something.

Let the tea cool.

Pour tea into an ice cube tray. Freeze.

Pop the mint ice cubes into your water on hot days. If you like, crush a bit of fresh mint in with them or use them in iced tea - or even use them to ice mint tea without watering it down!

Comments

[onthetide.livejournal.com]

Sounds delicious!

[rugbybaby.livejournal.com]

That does sound really delicious. Thanks for sharing!

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

It will turn your water a little yellow when they melt (mint infusions tend to be a yellowish color) but there really isn't anything so refreshing as icy mint when it's impossibly hot out, in my opinion. Also, doing this is a million times cheaper than the commercial mint waters you can buy.

(I will buy commercial mint water if, for example, I'm in an airport - I definitely did when I was in the Phoenix airport earlier this year - but this can get you the same result for 17 cents a pot - which is about two, two and a half trays of ice cubes. And with maybe three cubes a glass of water, it's literally be pennies a serving, rather than $1.50 a serving - if you go by Metromint, the leading commercial mint water.)

If you want some extra crispness make some cucumber water - just put water in a pitcher with cucumbers in the fridge - and add these ice cubes to that.

[rugbybaby.livejournal.com]

You know, I've never had mint water before. I've hardly had flavored water. But I'm all for expanding my beverage list, particularly when it seems so easy to make.

I love the idea with cucumbers too. I think I may do that when I get home.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

I actually hate artificially flavored water. It takes fake to my mouth. I would rather drop a dash of fruit juice into a glass of water if I want flavor - but mint water and cucumber water are two "traditional" drinks (unlike, say, cherry water). You can also make mint water by dumping fresh mint into water, but meh. I tend to prefer the flavor of the ice and it takes less thought.

(Cucumber water and water with fresh mint leaves will go off after a few days - the cucumber/mint will get slimy and it's actually fairly gross. I make cucumber water for the night when I'm making salad, but I don't tend to store it longer than that. Obviously, being frozen, mint ice doesn't share the same problems.)

[rugbybaby.livejournal.com]

Mmm yes, I would like to avoid the slimy. If only our gazebo had a light so I could work there in the evening.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

If you're using cucumbers for a salad or side dish, it's easy enough to toss a couple pieces into water. Just... beware sliminess. It's really unpleasant.

Mmm. Also, if you've got them, tossing a piece of citrus fruit in the mint-iced water (or on their own) can be pleasant. I do it when I'm making things calling for citrus - like key lime pie or orange chicken or lemon fish. However, citrus water runs the same risks as cucumber water, in terms of slime factor.

[rugbybaby.livejournal.com]

Mmm tangerine water. It's unfortunate we don't grow lemons and limes anymore.