What can I do with Mint?

Churchpolly

Hi, I just put the leaves in a plastic bag and freeze them - take them out when frozen and squeeze and they crumble in the bag, then I pop them in a container (labelled mint) and put it in my freezer. I have found that most herbs can be frozen this way - no water, chopping or messing about!

As to mint plants - I should pop some in a pot and later when you come to re-plant in your garden I have found it best to put mint in a bucket (with drainage hole) and then to bury the bucket, this stops it from spreading all over the garden.

Oh - I have apple mint which is lovely, so fragrant and delicious - it is well worth buying a plant (or begging a bit from anyone you know that has some).

best

Polly

wyse_2

On new potatoes with butter. You can also use plenty by making taboulleh. Forget the horrible stuff you get in pots in the supermarket. This is the real deal: Douse a cup of couscous with juice of two lemons and a slosh of olive oil. Add plenty of tomatoes and mint and leave for 12 hours to "cook". this leaves a textured, fresh, healthy salad with only one downside: the fresh lemon juice goes off after a few days. solution: make some more!

Off_the_wall_2

Have you thought of getting a couple of post of it, and placing near where Ants could enter the house? It is supposed to act like Eucaliptus does with flies and kep them away, with no harm to pets or children.

bluejosiah

Churchpolly wrote: »

Hi, I just put the leaves in a plastic bag and freeze them - take them out when frozen and squeeze and they crumble in the bag, I have found that most herbs can be frozen this way - no water, chopping or messing about!

Polly

I totally agree - don't chop before you freeze as they crumble so well when frozen - any herbs. I usually buy ones that are reduced which is doubly great!!! (Though ones from the garden are tripley great! Though my favourite herb is corriander and I find this impossible to grow in my garden)

angelavdavis

Mint will root in water too. Remove the leaves along the stem carefully and dip in water on the window sill, you should have roots in a couple of weeks.

My favourites
- add to garlic, cucumber and yoghurt for raita, leave for a couple of hours in the fridge to develop flavour - delicious with warm pizza bread cut into strips or with poppadums.
- Pimms - need I say more?
- home made mint sauce (see below).

Just did a search for mint on bbc.co.uk/food/recipes and got loads of recipes, including

Chilled pea and mint soup http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chilledpeaandmintsou_72223.shtml

HM Mint Sauce
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/realmintsauce_67706.shtml

strawberry and mint salsa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/strawberryandmintsal_72224.shtml

Toad

Off_the_wall wrote: »

Have you thought of getting a couple of post of it, and placing near where Ants could enter the house? It is supposed to act like Eucaliptus does with flies and kep them away, with no harm to pets or children.

Mint is supposed to be pretty good at keeping flies away too! Place some in your kitchen, maybe in a pot so it keeps alive.

Also, don't go buying breath freshening sprays, a single leaf popped into your mouth is a much more natural and I suspect, sugar free, way to freshen your breath. Handy for any smokers out there!

Finally... crushed ice, lemonde and lots of chopped mint.... mix it all up in a blender! hmmmmm!

Toad

cathodetube

Make a spanish omelette with peas (fresh if possible), onion, new potatoes, feta and mint. Very good for picnics as it can be served cold(ish). Not freezing as then you don't taste all the flavours. For a large omelette use about 8 eggs, depends on the size of your pan. After one side is cooked, slide out onto a plate and slide back into pan to finish cooking on the other side.

WendyR14

I use a lot of mine as mint cookies - I wiz up quite a lot of fresh mint in the food processor and then continue on making the basic 'sugar cookie' recipe I found in the magimix cookery book. I freeze the dough in plastic bags as a sort of square log as I like the square cookies better than round ones. Once in a while I roll out the dough before freezing and use cookie cutters but hardly worth the trouble. To bake just cut thinish slices from the frozen dough, bake for about 10-12 minutes and there's a lovely pale green biscuit. an almost instant treat to go with tea or coffee if visitors drop by.

They freeze so well that I do a winter's worth now while the mint is growing so strongly.

Wendy

airgead

Fresh mint leaves are really delicious in a fresh fruit salad

Psykicpup

ChocClare wrote: »

You can make mint jelly instead of mint sauce - lasts for years, and tastes lovely!

You need:
5lb cooking apples
4 pints water
About 2.25lb sugar

Wash the apples, but don't peel or core. Cut into chunks. Stew in a pan with the water till soft and pulpy. Strain through a jelly bag at least 4 hours or overnight - until it stops dripping. (Don't push it through or it will be cloudy.) Measure the resulting liquid - allow 1lb of sugar for every pint of juice. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves then bring to the boil and simmer until setting point is reached. (You test this by putting a saucer in the freezer for about 10 minutes; drop a bit of jelly onto it, leave a few minutes, then push with your finger - if it wrinkles, it's done, if not, put the pan back on the heat for another 10 mins or so. Chop in six to eight tablespoons of mint. (For a really minty taste, you can wrap mint up in muslin and boil it with the apple juice and sugar as well.) Pour into hot, sterilized jars (sterilize by washing the jars, then putting into a coolish oven to dry out), label and seal. I've got jellies I made at least 2 years ago which are still lovely. You can use other herbs as well - rosemary jelly - made exactly the same, but chop in rosemary instead of mint - is FANTASTIC with roast lamb - I've got a great recipe somewhere where you part-roast the lamb, then take it out of the oven, brush with rosemary jelly and put back in: the resultant glazed lamb is wonderful.

You can also make mint tea as a great summer drink, but I'm too tired now and am off to bed! If you want the recipe, I'll print it tomorrow!

Can anyone tell me how much Mint Jelly this makes please? I have a few jars around but dont want to be over flowing in Jelly! :rotfl: