I am an "urban gardener," I have a small patch of land that I grow a variety of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and herbs on and I am stumped on what to do with all of the mint that I grow. I've made various compilations of mojitos, teas and even have tried a couple of salad recipes with mint but I still have a plethora of this refreshing herb.
My question to you is what can I do with all of this mint??
-Abundance of Mint
First of all, I want to say that I am impressed with your urban gardening--I love it! SO COOL! Bravo! I wish more people had the ambition you have to grow their own food. I, too, do potted plants as well as some in the dirt stuff. I do all my herbs in pots, though,and I just love my potted garden!
As you can tell, mint is one of those fast growing herbs that leaves you starching your head. I feel the same way. Googling the problem may leave you feeling a little mint-weary, too.... some people love, love LOVE mint and throw it in nearly everything and others are more deliberate cookers, like me, and find themselves with a ton of leftover mint.
It sounds like you are doing lots of minty things already which is awesome! Offhand, there are two other things you can do:
1) Mint ice cubes. They are perfect for both nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Just put a few shreds of leaf in each ice cube slot (in a tray), add water and freeze. It's a great way to use it up.
2) Stomach stuff. No lie. Mint settles the stomach and last week, I found myself with an upset tummy that was lingering. I broke off two mint leaves, washed them and chewed them slowly each time I felt a little nauseous and it eased my hurt belly!
Beyond that, I am not even gonna front, I had to do a little research on your behalf. Turns out that greek food has a ton of mint in it. So one solution would be to buy a greek cookbook, or google some greek recipes to help you expand your mint repertoire. Tabbouleh incorporates mint (and is delish!), and there are yogurt sauces that you can make as well. Also, if you make a ground lamb burger, you could throw some mint into the ground and it would taste amazing.
Some of the solutions for using up extra mint sound a little ambitious, if you ask me... or maybe it's just the heat getting to me. Haha. There are a plethora of mint ice creams out there that call for fresh mint. If you are feeling really frisky and want to make ice cream, it seems like it would be a great solution!
I know you said you made mojitos, but have you tried the mint julep? That was another recommendation.
Finally, if you find yourself with a ton of mint at the end of the season, don't fear--freeze it! You can pick your harvest and vacuum seal it up and freeze it for year-round use. Don't worry, though, you aren't alone in your mint conundrum. I too find that my basil and parsley go way faster than my mint!
Do you have a mint suggestion for our reader? Please leave it in the comments section below!
It is good to have extra mint outside around the house because it keeps those pesky ants away.
ReplyDeleteMakes a great tea that will bring on a sweat and cool the body in the summer. It's an antiseptic, makes a great mouthwash, wound wash, and is great for sore throats! A simple mint tea will also help ease a headache and helps with sinus relief. To make a simple tea with mint, just gather the herb, and since it's fresh, start with 2 oz. Bring 1 qt of water to a boil and pour it over the herb. Let sit for about 20 minutes. This recipe will yield about 3 cups, or one day's dose, taken at 1/2 cup at a time. You can freeze this herb and use it all throughout the year. It's a great addition to your medicine cabinet!
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