The Refreshing Mint Family

Photo by Sonia M. - Spearmint in a large clay container

The Refreshing Mint Family

As the song for Minty Mints goes; "They're cool, they're fresh, they'll clean your breath. Minty mints are your breath's friend"; mint has long been prized for its cooling and soothing qualities as well as for making your breath smell fresh and clean.

There are many different "mints" members of the Lamiaceae family and the genus Mentha.  Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is the preferred mint for culinary or medicinal use, but peppermint, water mint, pineapple mint, apple mint, ginger mint, etc. are just some of the other varieties most commonly found.

Mint is very easy to propagate from cuttings, whether first stuck in a jar of water to develop roots or right into the ground or by root division when separating plants.

Although welcomed in most gardens, mint can become very invasive if left to grow freely, so it is best grown in containers or in spots away from the rest of your garden where they can just go wild.  A nice shady and cool location near a water spigot is wonderful, but don't keep it wet as it will develop rust when kept too wet. It is best to trim back often to encourage new growth and fullness.  The more you cut it the more the plant will love it and reward you with thick and vigorous growth.

Some mints need a period of dormancy but in our tropical climate it doesn't seem to want to 'rest'.  You might notice that at times the plant will not sprout new growth as usual, and this might be all the dormancy it will need in the tropics.  Be sure to keep the plant growing in loamy soil rich with compost to keep it cool and moist in the summer heat.

Spearmint is also the mint of choice for the popular Cuban Mojito and for Mint Juleps.  It is also wonderful in tall cooling glasses of iced tea.

MINT SYRUP

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup mint leaves, removed from stems and tightly packed-crushed
 
Dissolve sugar in water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Add mint and remove from heat; let stand for 30 minutes.  

Strain and pour into a bottle and store in refrigerator.

Use as a base for summer drinks or drizzle lightly over fresh fruit and berries.  Mix a small amount with confectioner's sugar to make a glaze for pound cake.

YIELD: 2 cups

SOURCE: Louisiana herbalist Sarah Liberta - used with permission.

CUBAN MOJITO (Mo-hee-toe)

A very refreshing summer drink, the Cuban mojito (little spell) is said to have originated with the slaves who worked the sugar plantations in colonial days in Cuba.  The word mojito is a derivative of the word mojo (moe-hoe) which was a word the Africans used meaning a spell.  It has been gaining popularity as the Cuban version of a Mint Julep.

2-3 Tablespoons Mint Syrup (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons freshly juiced lime

or

1 lime halved crosswise

2 ounces white rum

Crushed ice

3 ounces mineral water or Club Soda

Fresh mint sprigs to garnish the glass

Start by pouring the syrup in a tall glass.

Cut the lime in half, getting rid of the seeds. Squeeze the juice out from both halves, and drop one of the 1/2 lime pieces into the glass.

Pour in the rum and stir. Add plenty of crushed ice, then top off the mixture with mineral water or club soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!

YIELD: 1 serving

SOURCE: Assorted recipes which I combined to come up with this version

MINTED ICED TEA

Refreshing on a hot summer day.

2-3 Tablespoons Mint Syrup

Cold tea

Cracked ice

Sprig of mint for garnish

Fill a tall glass with cracked ice.  Pour the desired amount of the Mint Syrup and fill with freshly brewed, cooled tea.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy!

YIELD: 1 serving

SOURCE: Sonia's mom!

Sonia's Note: My mom would sometimes add Ginger Ale (the real one ;-) to iced tea.  Gives iced tea a nice, bubbly and summery taste.

CANDIED OR CRYSTALLIZED MINT LEAVES
With a supply of these refreshing treats on hand, you can turn the simplest packaged pudding into an elegant surprise.

1 cup fresh mint leaves, washed and dried on paper towels (*)
Pasteurized egg whites to equal 1 egg white
1 cup superfine sugar (or process regular sugar in the blender for a few seconds)
1 small artist's paintbrush (unused)
Sterilized tweezers or forceps
Waxed paper
 
Line a tray or sheet pan with waxed paper and sprinkle with sugar (to keep leaves or flowers from sticking (*).  Whisk egg white until it becomes frothy.  Holding a single leaf by the stem with tweezers or forceps, paint its entire surface, front and back, with the egg mixture. Any area unpainted will turn brown.  

Sprinkle with sugar to coat thoroughly on both sides.  Place on waxed paper to dry.  Repeat until all leaves are coated with sugar.  Allow to dry till crisp.

(*) A mixture of leaves and flowers can be used.   If using whole flowers, this may take from several hours to several days, depending on size of flowers.  Individual leaves and small flat flowers will dry rather quickly, while whole roses or other large flowers may take a few days to dry thoroughly.  

Store the candied leaves and flowers in an airtight container. Use them to decorate cakes, petit fours, candies (truffles, fudge squares), puddings and other desserts.

YIELD: varies, depending on size of leaves and flowers

SOURCE: Louisiana herbalist Sarah Liberta - used with permission.

TROPICAL TASTE article - July 2009 issue - The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a, Hawai'i