Mint :: Herb of the Month + Mint Granita Recipe

June 12, 2009

[Mentha]

The other day I hand-picked two big bunches of mint leaves that I purchased from the farmer’s market. I used most of the leave to make Mint Granite [see recipe below]. While I was busy picking the mint leaves and enjoying the wonderful minty aroma that perfumed the dining room, I was also busy thinking about the different varieties of mint wondering if one variety is better than the another for making tea or in recipes. My search for the answer lead me to discover an amazing number of mint plants that I had never heard of, hybrid plants with incredible flavors and fragrances.

Mint Varieties

Hold on to your garden gloves. The variety of mint is incredible! I was really amazed how many are available. Among the various varieties, mint offers a multitude of uses. Some mint is mild in flavor, and others are stronger, and not are well-suited for culinary use, and for this reason I list here what works well in the kitchen and what works best for drinks and to make tea.

Peppermint, spearmint, and pennyroyal are close relatives in the mint family. Spearmint and peppermint have several varieties within their group [Spearmint, English mint, and Vietnamese Mint; Peppermint, Chocolate Mint, Swiss Mint]. Others varieties within the mint family that I am familiar with are Water Mint and Pineapple Mint. Still there are many more captivating varieties waiting to be discovered and tasted.

Wonderful in recipes and as garnish: Banana Mint, Corsican Mint, Curly Mint, Ginger Mint, Grapefruit Mint, Berries and Cream Mint, Candied Fruit Mint, Candy Lime Mint, Citrus Kitchen Mint, Cotton Candy Mint, Jim’s Fruit Mint, Fruit Sensations Mint, Fruitasia Mint, Italian Spice Mint, Julia’s Sweet Citrus Mint, Marilyn’s Salad Mint, Oregano-Thyme Mint, and Sweet Pear Mint.

This isn’t a complete list, but I think this long list will keep all of us intrigued for now, and inspired to create new sensational recipes with these fun flavors.

Great for making tea and drinks: Apple Mint, Julia’s Sweet Citrus Mint, Korean Mint, Margarita Mint, Menthol Mint, Mojito Mint, Orange Mint [aka Eau de Cologne Mint and Bergamot Mint], and Wintergreen Mint.

Mint in the Garden

Doesn’t the extensive variety of mint make you want to try them all? I’m sure inspired. I would love to plant each type but have visions of an invasive take over of the entire neighborhood.

“Plant a little mint, Madame, then step out of the way so you don’t get hurt!” – British gardener

My mother, sisters, and I remember the time I decided to plant mint in the backyard. This perennial plant grows easy and flourishes in most conditions [though it prefers moist soil], and I thought it would make a great addition to our garden. I had no idea, at that time, how mint could take over a garden. The mint grow with ease and was left unattended. When exactly it happened I’m not sure but one day we went to the backyard to find this tenacious herb had nearly taken over the garden! It was everywhere and that wasn’t necessary a bad thing. We shared plenty of mint with our neighbor, family, and friends.

Mint grows well indoors and outdoors. You can grow mint right in your kitchen. If you plan to grow it outdoors, planting mint in containers is advised if you don’t want it to take over, and even when it’s planted directly into the ground it is a good idea to use some sort of restrainer system to restrain their roots. Once mint is established it is very difficult to keep it from spreading if the root system hasn’t been restrained.

If growing your own mint isn’t an option, your local farmer’s markets, and the produce section of health food and grocery stores will mostly likely carry it.

Nutritional Profile

Mint is a powerful antioxidant containing many vitamins and minerals, and easy to integrate into your daily diet. Fresh mint leaves contain:

Selecting

Fresh Mint

Vibrant green mint leaves are what you want with leaves that are free from dark spots or yellowing.

Dried Mint

Look for dried mint of superior quality and freshness that is organic, non-irradiated and purchased from a reputable source.

Storing Mint

Sometimes I store fresh herbs in the refrigerator, but lately I’ve been placing some herbs, like fresh mint, in a glass of water that acts as a vase, and placing it in an area away from harsh sunlight, and from my experience it has remained fresher longer. Change the water daily.

If you prefer storing fresh mint leaves in the refrigerator, it should keep for several days if wrapped in a damp paper towel and place inside of a bag or container.

Keep dried mint in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. It should keep fresh up to a year.

Dry Your Own Mint

Have extra fresh mint you’d like to dry? Just lay it out in the sun or use a dehydrator to do the job. Once completely dry, store in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, and dry place [see Storing Mint].

Culinary Uses and Tips

All the different varieties listed above give clues to what flavors compliment mint. Mint does go well with fruits of all sorts. In the world of vegetables, mint tastes great combined with peas, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, green beans, sprouted legumes, zucchini, and many more veggies.

Chopped mint leaves are great in salads, fruit desserts, and beverages. It adds delicious flavor to sauces [like chocolate sauce], curries, cold and warm soups, beverages, and as garnish.

Some herbs and spices that work well with mint: basil, garlic, ginger, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram.

Substitutes for mint in recipes: For savory recipes use fresh parsley or basil. For sweet or savory recipes use fresh basil.

This recipe for Mint Granita is adapted from Epicurious website.

Mint Granita

The cool burst of minty flavor makes this recipe a great palette cleanser between courses or serve it as a refreshing dessert or treat.

1 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
2 cups water
1/4 cup agave, or more to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve, twice. Pour the mint water into a shallow container and freeze. Every half hour or so, stir and crush any lumps. Repeat until evenly frozen, approximately 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve scrape the frozen mixture with a fork to fluff and loose into tiny ice granuales. Spoon into glasses or bowls and serving immediately.

Serves 4

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Herb of the Month Giveaway

Each month we feature an herb, highlight its benefits, showcase it in a raw vegan recipe, and offer a monthly giveaway of an assortment of products featuring the herb of the month courtesy of our wonderful sponsor Mountain Rose Herbs.

At the end of this month June, a name will be drawn from the comment section of this post, and Mountain Rose Herbs will send an awesome assortment of products featuring Mint to the winning participant.

Thank you in advance for your participation and good luck!

Tweet This: Send Page to Twitter

-->

Comments

26 Comments so far

Beverly Bass on June 12, 2009 Friday, 3:29 am
Thanks for the mint recipes. I have lots of mint growing wild by my pond. It’s become a faithful friend….makes it through the winter and comes back strong in the spring.
Lauren on June 12, 2009 Friday, 4:56 am
I just love mint! It’s so fresh and refreshing! I have some chocolate mint growing with my herbs, YUM! :)
Cheris Courtney on June 12, 2009 Friday, 5:24 am
Wow! I had absolutely no idea that mint came in so many varieties. I also didn’t know it could take a garden over. Thanks for this info.!

And yes, that Mint Granita is perfect for this weather. Can’t wait to try it!
Jess on June 12, 2009 Friday, 5:50 am
WOW! This looks amazing! :o)
Jess on June 12, 2009 Friday, 5:54 am
Another great use for mint! Perfect for this hot day summer days! :o) Thanks for the recipe!!!
elena on June 12, 2009 Friday, 7:37 am
Great herb profile. Will have to include more mint into my diet. Count me in for the drawing :)
Nicole on June 12, 2009 Friday, 7:42 am
Oooh, I love Mountain Rose Herbs! Thanks for the chance to win their fabulous products. I’ll remember not to plant mint in my tiny garden in fear it would consume my tomatoes:) Did you know you can make granitas and margaritas in the ice cream maker too? My husband loves it just for that!
Misery's Fence on June 12, 2009 Friday, 7:59 am
Since I don’t have time to weed my garden, I’m letting the mint take over. ;-)

Growing up in Louisville, mint was always available in groceries by Derby Week (for those mint juleps!). I remember as a child what a treat it was to find some growing wild. Even today, my younger daughter says the smell reminds her of the farmers market we used to go to when she was a child.

Love and Light,
Miz
Zucchini Breath on June 12, 2009 Friday, 10:42 am
I love mint. It grows fresh in my yard. I’m going to go make a green mint smoothie right now!
earthmother on June 12, 2009 Friday, 2:12 pm
Whoa, who knew there were so many varieties! I have oodles of mint growing in my yard, compliments of whoever lived here before. LOVE the smell and putting it in green smoothies. Mmmm.
Sarah on June 12, 2009 Friday, 3:20 pm
Mint is also helpful with Gallbladder issues; I only found this out recently when dealing with slugggish liver and gallbladder function, so this will be a Summer staple I think!

Thanks!
Angelique on June 12, 2009 Friday, 4:39 pm
Nice article! One of my favorite uses of mint is with melon and ice in a smoothie/shake. I just got a chocolate mint plant which I’ll be playing around with in recipes. Mountain Rose Herbs is great — high quality for reasonable prices. I really appreciate them and recommend them when I can.
andra on June 12, 2009 Friday, 7:01 pm
Mint is an herb that has a lot of associations with childhood for me. Growing up, my mom and grandmother would harvest mint from our yard (it grew in patches all over) and they would wash and dry it the old fashioned way; they would let us ‘crumble’ the dried leaves into jars. They would also use it in making traditional dishes from our culture. Every spring, my mom and grandmother would send us children out to inspect the mint patches. So reading about this herb has brought back a lot of warm fuzzies!

andra
Mari T on June 12, 2009 Friday, 9:57 pm
If I could choose any herb for summertime, it would definitely be Mint, cool and refreshing.
Christy on June 13, 2009 Saturday, 7:11 pm
I have been growing mint for years, but never knew of all the different varieties or uses. Thanks!
ikkinlala on June 14, 2009 Sunday, 7:43 am
Thanks for the recipe and information! I love mint, but I’ve only tried a few of the varieties you listed.
Kristen's Raw on June 14, 2009 Sunday, 2:44 pm
Ever since I was a teeny-tiny little girl, I’ve loved the flavor of mint. Yum yum yum.

Your recipe sounds awesome,
Kristen
Teresa on June 14, 2009 Sunday, 6:32 pm
I have to admit, that it took me some time to acquire a taste for mint. And boy am I happy about my persistence, because I just love mint now, even just the plain leaves. I love everything about it, and I can never get enough of that fresh minty smell. I’ve got my eye out know for the pineapple mint and water mint. And I’m definitely trying out the mint granita.
cherrybombpie on June 15, 2009 Monday, 8:34 am
Hi Ingrid. I love your blog! Such a great wealth of information. I am definitely trying the Mint Granita for my family and friends when I head home. Thanks for sharing the lovely recipe.
Rene on June 15, 2009 Monday, 6:19 pm
Mint is great!
I found a mint plant to put into my tiny herb garden. Fortunately, it’s a raised bed garden, so the mint shouldn’t take over the neighborhood! :)
Hopefully, within a few weeks, we’ll be able to pick enough leaves to give the Granita a try! :)
Renee on June 26, 2009 Friday, 9:52 pm
Wow! I knew there were several varieties of mint but I had no idea the list was that expansive!
I have a new passion for mint. I’ve planted some spearmint and peppermint in my yard which has made the most wonderful addition to my home made raw organic chocolates.
My neighbor recently gave me some ginger mint which I thought would make a great beverage addition. I have found it is absolutely fantastic in home made lemon ice cream!
I throw my lemon ice cream ingredients in my Vita Mix, blend, Just before the mix thickens I add the fresh ginger mint. Little bursts of ginger mint! Delicious!
I can’t wait to try some of the others!
Thanks for the tips!
Mindy on June 28, 2009 Sunday, 10:07 am
I really enjoy mint as well, particularly in green smoothies these days. Another good thing to know about mint is that it is very easy to root, even in a glass of water. So, one way to grow new varieties is to find a local gardener (maybe through a local herb society) who is willing to share some cuttings with you. Most “plant people” are very generous. Mint grows very well in pots, no need to plant in the ground. The granita looks awesome, esp given the record breaking heat we have had in my home in Lousisiana. This is a wonderful site, thank you!
Eleanor Moyer on July 1, 2009 Wednesday, 10:00 am
I would love more mint in my garden! Please include my name in the drawing for June.

Eleanor
Ingrid on July 1, 2009 Wednesday, 6:21 pm
Thank you all for your participation in June’s herb of the month drawing.

I’d like to announce our winner Andra ~ congratulations!!!

Andra wrote:

“Mint is an herb that has a lot of associations with childhood for me. Growing up, my mom and grandmother would harvest mint from our yard (it grew in patches all over) and they would wash and dry it the old fashioned way; they would let us ‘crumble’ the dried leaves into jars. They would also use it in making traditional dishes from our culture. Every spring, my mom and grandmother would send us children out to inspect the mint patches. So reading about this herb has brought back a lot of warm fuzzies!”

Our sponsor Mountain Rose Herbs is sending Andra a fun package of organic mint products. We hope you enjoy these products.

July’s herb of the month is Hibiscus. I will update with a post by July 10th. Meantime, I wish you an enjoyable, happy, and safe 4th weekend. :-)
marg on July 24, 2009 Friday, 1:53 pm
Hi,
This site is a find. Great info about mint.
Couldn’t resist chocolate mint this year. Love the aroma. I put some in planters. Likely try to move at least one indoors for the winter.

Thank you Marg for your kind words. Yum, all you have to do is gently rub the leave of the chocolate mint plant and WOW ~ you get the scent of chocolate mint on your finger tips.
savaged01 on March 2, 2010 Tuesday, 7:18 am
this information is great i wold like to plant my own mint but i do not know wat month you plant it

Get The Raw Epicurean Report free monthly food news in your inbox

For Email Marketing you can trust

Receive the latest raw vegan recipes and related posts via email alerts | RSS subscription

Let's connect via Twitter

Join our fabulous community

Herb of the Month

Cardamon our featured spice for March. We'll highlight its benefits, showcase it in raw vegan recipes, and at the end of the month a reader's name will be drawn from the comments, and our sponsor