While the South sips on sweet tea to beat the summer heat, the Amish have their own cool and refreshing favorite — meadow tea. If you’ve ever wandered through Pennsylvania Dutch country, you’ve probably come across this vibrant, minty drink that’s long been a staple in Amish kitchens. Meadow tea isn’t just a beverage; it’s a refreshing ritual for warm weather, deeply rooted in tradition.
Want to make your own batch? Keep reading to discover how to make meadow tea at home with our authentic Amish meadow tea recipe.
What Is Meadow Tea?
Meadow tea is a naturally sweet, mint-infused herbal tea traditionally made from fresh mint leaves — a beloved drink in Amish communities and a summertime staple in Pennsylvania Dutch country. While mint is a flavorful herb used in everything from savory dishes to desserts, it’s also known for growing quickly and aggressively in the garden. That’s where meadow tea comes in — it’s a delicious, practical way to put that wild mint to good use.
Whether you use spearmint, peppermint, or a blend of both, meadow tea is simple to prepare. Just steep the fresh leaves for a few hours, add a touch of sweetener, chill, and enjoy a cooling glass of this homemade herbal tea.
Meadow Tea Recipe
Authentic Amish Meadow Tea Recipe
Difficulty: Easy4-6
servings10
minutes5
minutes3
hours45
minutesIngredients
2 quarts water (8 cups)
1 cup packed with mint leaves (any variety)
½ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Lemon slices
Instructions
- Follow best practices for picking herbs and pick mint from your garden early in the morning if possible. You can cut sections off stalks with pruning shears or just pick off individual leaves. If you do not use all of your herbs, we recommend preserving them for future meadow teas.
- Wash and rinse off your fresh mint carefully to remove any dirt or pests.
- Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water and bring it to a boil over high heat on your stovetop.
- Add in one cup worth of packed mint leaves, place a tight-fitting lid over top, and remove the pot from the heat.
- Let this mix steep for around 2 ½ hours or more, until the water turns a mint green color.
- After it’s done, strain and discard the mint as you transfer the tea into a container of your choice.
- Add in the sugar and lemon juice, stirring until it’s completely dissolved.
- Refrigerate the tea until it’s perfectly chilled.
- Serve to guests over ice with lemon slices and extra mint to garnish as desired.
Note that while you can combine virtually any type of mint to create this tea, we recommend that you avoid using catnip. While it is technically in the mint family, it doesn’t taste as good as other varieties when used in meadow tea.
Meadow Tea Benefits
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Amish Meadow Tea is packed full of benefits. One of the major ones is that it’s a refreshing tea that contains no caffeine. So, you can enjoy it any time of day without worrying whether it’ll keep you up at night.
Aside from also giving you fresh breath, the mint in this Amish tea can naturally aid digestion and soothe your stomach. Plus, mint is naturally rich in nutrients like potassium, calcium, vitamin C, and more.
And one of the best meadow tea benefits of all is that the mint will make your house smell fresh while you steep it in water — so it’s a win all around! If you’ve ever eaten Amish baked goods or specialty food, you know their recipes have withstood the test of time. The same can be said of the refreshing flavor of meadow tea.
