Using mint.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: What to do with all my mint?
From: MORAVCSIK.CLIPR.COLORADO.EDU (Julia Moravcsik)
Date: 3 Aug 1995 15:11:25 GMT

> What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is overflowing with the stuff. Thoughts, spare change, and credit cards accepted cheerfully.

Hi Adrienne--
You can make tabouleh with the mint. You can boil water with sugar and dip the leaves in for crystalized mint leaves. You can freeze them for later use. You can make a sort of pesto by putting them in a blender with some oil and then freezing the pesto for later use. You can put it in fruit salad, chopped fine. You can chomp on a leaf before you drink water to make the water taste better.

From: wilson.cais2.cais.com (Kathy Wilson)

: What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

I also have mint, and after tearing out the overgrowth, finally had this fix. Plant your mint into a 3-5 gallon plastic tub that has plenty of wholes in it. Plant entire tub into the ground, it keeps the mint contained to one nice neat area. I don't have any problems anymore, It grow enough to supply the family with Mint Tea all summer. I wonder if you can get the same effect if you freeze or dry the mint, someway to make it last through the winter.

From: sgoddik.bgnet.bgsu.edu (Steen Goddik)

> What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

One of our friends describe chocolate-covered mint leaves as a great "social lubricant" for her 5-year old son. All the neighbor kids love it, and it has made him rather popular.

From: ao465.detroit.freenet.org (Susan L. Nielsen)

> What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

Well, tea is a pretty usual solution; I find it perkier than peppermint. It also makes a terrific addition to iced tea made from regular black tea. We make what is conventionally called sun tea by the gallons all year 'round, though without the sun. Seven tea bags (good ol' Lipton's or Red Rose) steeped all day in a gallon jug of water will make good tea for icing with or without Sol.
Use the spearmint fresh, or dry it, or freeze it in baggies. I also add it to raspberry leaf tea (calcium boost) because the raspberry has very little flavor of its own. Straight mint tea is good for bad tummies.

From: lucia.waterw.com (Lucia B. Chambers)

>: What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

>grow enough to supply the family with Mint Tea all summer. I wonder if you can get the same effect if you freeze or dry the mint, someway to make it last through the winter.

I use spearmint in many dishes, but the best is my dad's excellent (italian origin) steak sauce:

Take a big bunch of spearmint and snip away all the stems, so all you have are leaves. Use a mortar and pestil or just pound with a spoon: mash the spearmint into about six garlic cloves. Add a 1/4 cup lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil, a dash of marjarom and some salt and pepper.

Chill this lumpy sauce - it will keep in the fridge for three or four days, and pour it COLD over grilled fish, chicken and steaks. It is best over steak.

Another good use for spearmint: put a few leaves into each cup in an icecube tray, add water and freeze. Drop these minty cubes into your iced tea, lemonade, apple juice or vegetable juices you make in your juicer (such as carrot juice). They're also very good in (regular) margaritas.

From: emc.poweramp.net (Teara Staples)

> What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

It sounds like you have been inundated! I collect mint plants and have found that they are managable if you restrict where their roots can go.

I put 1x8's about 18" from the plant on all sides with only about an inch of the board showing above the ground. This seems to give the plant the illusion of freedom and they stay content tobe where they are.

I also cut off the flower heads before they go to seed since one flower head can bring hundreds of little plants next spring.

You may want to try to make spearmint oil. You can do this by packing bruised leaves into a jar and then filling it with virgin olive oil. Let it stand for a week, shaking it daily. At the end of the week drain through a fine strainer, throw out the old plant matter and add fresh. Put teh same oil back into the jar and repeat the daily routine. Do this until you have an oil as strong as you like. You can use the oil in baking.

If you want something that you can add to drink and won't just float around on the surface, do the same thing but instead of adding oil, pour vodka over the plants in the jar. This makes a tincture instead of an oil. You can also use this a mouthwash.

Dry and save a bunch of the leaves for the winter flu season. Strong spearmint tea can be a soothing to the stomach as peppermint.

If you are going to pull up any of the rogue plants in your yard, make sure you get every bit of root. One tiny bit means more plants in that area. I dug up a peppermint when we changed our garden around and, sure enough, I ended up with mint poking through the sod I had laid.

From: anahita.aol.com (Nighthunter)

> What types of things is spearmint good for? My back yard is

Mints of any kind can be used for teas, with or witout the caffeine laden stuff. Mints are also good for calming upset stomachs. They have a sedative effect on some people. spearmint is one of the main ingredients of tabouli, a Mediterranean dish made of bulgur wheat, lemon juice, spearmint, garlic and olive oil.

Delicious.

I know what you mean about the stuff taking over the yard. I cut and dry it; just hang it by the stems in the garage for a few weeks, or as I often do, stack it loosely in laundry baskets and leave it for the winter. Aside from using it medicinally and culinarily, I also grind it in my blender and sprinkle it on the carpet before vacuuming to fill the house with a summery scent. I've made sachets with it and given them away to friends. The dried stems are lovely in campfires on on the barbeque coals after cooking. And you should be able to find a recipe for mint jelly in a cookbook somewhere.

From: Maggie Houston <maggua.vnet.net>

Mint is a yin or cooling herb. If you live in a hot climate eating it will help you cool off. Fill a food blender full and save the "juice" to mix with water as a cooling summer "green" drink. (1 oz to 8 oz). I add 1 oz to "iced" teas of dandelion root or chamomile. Lemon Balm (Melissa) is great for this also. Mint, Lemon Balm or Basil, can all be used to help reduce fevers. I have used this successfully on myself.

From: leslie1128.aol.com (Leslie1128)

If you drink alcoholic beverages you can make wonderful cordials from mint and other tea herbs. I fill up a half gallon jar with loosely packed mints (or mix and match your herbs) fill with vodka and add honey to taste (start with 1 cup and then add more or less to your liking). You can add grated ginger, lemon or orange zest, etc, etc. Let your taste buds be your guide. Let sit till you like the taste then strain and bottle up in pretty jars. Makes nice gifts.

Also mint vinegars are nice. Just do the same thing but use apple cider vinegar. You can add honey if you want but I don't. Have fun, this is the time to turn all your lovely herbs into products to get us through the winter. Medicines are very important but don't forget the nice everyday uses that will bring us delight in those long, grey months ahead.