And those leaves have been mocking me from the back of the refrigerator ever since , daring me to find a use for them whilst they slowly rot away . Damn leaves . I found this page while surfing for something . It's about Jamacian Bush Teas I slapped my forehead and set out to make mint tea . I tossed the mint leaves into a quart of water with a cinnamon stick . Brought it to a boil and simmered it for about 10 minutes and added about 1/2 cup of sugar . 
Question: Why did the leaves slowly rot away ?
Because the writer bought them and never used them .