It’s Simple, Mint is Delicious
Mint is an herb, not a spice, and it’s nearly everywhere.
Fans of the Kentucky Derby and dessert eaters everywhere know a sprig of mint when they see it. In addition to being foliage on a plate, mint flavors all manner of consumable items from gum to toothpaste to smoking cessation gum, ice creams, pet shampoos (not edible, by the way), tea, tabouli, fried rice and even, ugh, mint jelly.
Some Basic Bio Stuff
Mint, from Mentha, has in its genus 25 species.[1] Moving up the scale to family, there are scores of cousins, reaching to nearly 7,000 family members.[2] That’s a big family and includes the likes of lavender, rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, catnip (catmint), bergamont, also knows as bee balm (horsemint).
The leaves on mints can vary from smooth to fuzzy, pointed to round, rough edges or really rough edges or, as with some lavender, smooth edges. With all those differences, there are some common traits. The stems are square, not round, and the leaves are staggered, with two leaves opposite each other on the stem, then the next set also opposite, but on the other sides of the stem.
Think rabbits are bad?
Most mint plants make more mint plants. They grow by spreading themselves a bit as strawberries do: sending out runners which find a place to root and grow. In my observations as a culinary gardener, the aforementioned herbs are not as aggressive as mints. I have seen wild mints take over a creek bank. I wasn’t really using that creek bank at the time so I didn’t mind.
Spearmint
Spearmint is native to Europe and Asia but has found a happy home in the US. Spearmint has pointed leaves and is quite fragrant. This is the mint for the famed julep or mojito. Add it to homemade tomato soup (Yes: Do it!) or chopped and sautéed with diced tomatoes and garlic. More than not, this is the mint in those plastic containers at the store.
Peppermint
Peppermint is also pungent, but tends toward a sweeter smell and the leaves are more rounded than spearmint. Peppermint also has menthol. This can be, to some people, over the top medicinal, a bit like cough medicine. This mint is often the one to be dried for teas and candies and toothpastes.[3]
Chocolate Mint
Ah, well, now we’ve stepped in it. Depending on who you ask, chocolate mint is, or is not, a thing. It is a derivative from peppermint. At that point, agreement splits. Some insist is smells of chocolate and other the opposite. I’ve found it to have chocolate tones, and take the Willy Wonka line “you should never ever doubt what no one is sure about” as a way out. Find this footnote for a fun read about is it or isn’t it.[4]
Pick Your Mint
As with any herb in a suffocating plastic package at the store, look for herbs that appear healthy which means not browned or wilty or worse.
Storage options can range from storing the plants, stems in a small jar of water, in the fridge. Not your first choice? Wrapped in a moist paper towel in a plastic baggie with the top opened. Or, pick the leaves, place them in that same paper towel in the bag and they will last a few days. Of course, use it in a couple of days for maximum flavor.
Enough! To The Bar
When mojitos were all the rage (did it stop?), my then employer added them to the bar menu. In short order we discovered that muddling-smashing the mint and sugar together at the bottom of the glass with a wooden, well, muddler-produced very poor results, with the sugar not dissolving and leaving a grainy yuck at the bottom of the glass. A mint simply syrup was the solution to that issue and also the speed issue. Here is my appearance on my friend Phil’s Drunk Botany podcast.
Mint Simple Syrup
As its name suggests, this is easy. It's also useful as a technique for steeping different flavors into sugar water for various uses, such as moistening cake layers. Simply syrup is very helpful brushed on layers of genoise before icing.
Ingredients
Mint Simple Syrup
- 1 pkg Fresh mint
- 2 C Sugar
- 2 C Water
Instructions
Procedure
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Place the sugar, water and mint into a pan large enough to hold it. Bring the ingredients to a boil, remove from heat, cover and allow to steep 20 minutes.
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Strain the syrup, pressing on the mint to release as much extra flavor as possible.
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Store in a resealable jar in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
There are many ways to enhance a simply syrup. At its simplest, it is only the sugar and water. The mint is infused as a tea would be. You may change or add thyme to that, lemon zest, lavender, honey as part of the sugar.
Depending on the use of the syrup, you can make any flavor you wish.
Mint Essential Oil and Extract
With the increase in homeopathy, mint oil seemed worthy of a note. Above lavender oil, mint may be the most widely used essential oil on the planet, with the two main active ingredients being menthol and menthone.[5] As we approach the allergy season, it is suggested that inhaling peppermint essential oil through a personal inhaler can unclog sinuses.[6][7] Of course, consult trained, knowledgeable professionals before embarking on self-medication.
Essential oils are very potent. Extracts are often alcohol based. They are strong, but don’t have near the potency (Miracle Max, call your office) of the oil. Extracts are excellent ways to get mint flavor into a dessert, say chocolate mousse or pudding, without chopping a bunch of mint. Extracts may be essential oils diluted in alcohol. You can also make your own with fresh mint leaves, a small jar and vodka.[8]
Where Can’t It Be Used?
Mint is pretty versatile. That beef and mint fried rice I mentioned above still is the bar for excellence in fried rice. It seems to play very well with tomatoes, spicy hot, fish, creams and ice creams and chocolate, grains, especially bulgar, fennel and leeks, infused in oils and anywhere your taste buds suggest it is a good fit. Even lemonade.
Raspberry Mint Lemonade
A very refreshing and easy to make lemonade for those hot summer days. Add some adult beverages for an extra special treat.
Ingredients
Raspberry Mint Lemonade
- 2.5 lb Frozen Raspberries
- 1 lb Sugar
- 3 Qts Water
- 3 oz Mint stems and leave tied in a coffee filter
- 1 qt Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the lemonade
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Squeeze the lemons. 1 lemon has approximately 1 ounce of juice, so you'll need approximately 32 lemons.
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Strain the cool the juice. Discard the seeds and pulp.
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Combine the water, raspberries, sugar and mint into a large pot. Bring the contents to a boil, stirring often while it starts to cook to prevent the sugar from caramelizing. Allow to reach full boil.
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Strain the raspberry liquid. Press on the guts to extract all the juice and mint flavor. Cool and add the lemon juice. Serve very cold
Recipe Notes
Cooked flavored lemonades are all basically the same: a simple syrup with a flavor, strained and cooled and added to fresh lemon juice.
Fennel confit
This is an excellent vegetable for a chicken or fish dish. It's easy to make, has a lot of room for personal additions and is super yum.
Ingredients
Fennel Confit
- 1 each Fennel bulb
- 1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- pinch Salt
- pinch Red pepper flakes
- 4 each Mint Sprigs, leaves and stems
- 1 each Star Anise
Instructions
Prepare the fennel confit
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Slice away the brown end of the fennel bulb.
Lay the fennel bulb in its side and cut it in half.
Cut each half into 6ths.
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Place all ingredients into a sauce pan narrow enough to keep all ingredients submerged in the olive oil. If necessary, add a bit more oil to cover.
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Bring the contents just to a boil and reduce the heat to very low, so the oil is just simmering. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the fennel is very tender.
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Remove from the heat and allow the fennel to cool in the oil.
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When cool, remove the fennel from the oil and keep in a resealable container. Save the oil and use it to finish sauces or soups or as the oil for vinaigrettes.
Recipe Notes
A note about the core: The core has fennel flavor and a different texture than the plant. If you prefer, you may remove the core and just confit the pieces of fennel. I like the core and find it a pleasant twist to the fennel.
[1] https://www.britannica.com/plant/mint-plant
[2] https://www.britannica.com/plant/Lamiaceae
[3] https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/how-to-buy-and-store-mint-peppermint-spearmint-article
[4] https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/does-chocolate-mint-really-smell-like-chocolate-peppermint-article
[5] https://draxe.com/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits/
[6] https://draxe.com/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits/
[7] http://www.usingeossafely.com/diffusing-guidelines/
[8] http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/diy-mint-extract-recipe.html
