Mint

[Cheech]

Hey y'all,

I just finished trimming my herb garden back for probably the last time before winter and I have a lot of mint. I'm looking for some suggestions on what to do with it. I was thinking maybe a jelly or something, but I thought someone here might give me a better idea.

thanks.

[OzarkRose]

If you have alot, and this is your last harvest, you might want to freeze some for winter. Puree with a small amount of oil (for savory) and oil & sugar (for sweet) to make a paste. Freeze amounts that you will use in your receipe, say 2T for a sorbet or 1C for a mint pesto.

[Pete]

Recently I was given an abundance of lemon balm, too much to use before it went bad, so I made a really strong tea out of it, which I frozen in small blocks. Now, this winter I can enjoy lemon balm iced tea to help drive the winter blues away. May be a good idea with some of that mint.

[Cheech]

Thanks for the replies. I really like the paste idea, and lemon balm tea sounds really good this morning!

[smlorenz]

Make mojitos and invite a crowd

[Cheech]

Originally Posted by smlorenz

Make mojitos and invite a crowd

I was thinking mint juleps

[phoebe]

I like using my mint in a fresh herb pesto. The original recipe was from the Los Angeles Times for a pankoed chicken with herb pesto linguine. The pesto part calls for putting the following ingredients in a food processor:

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh chervil

With the motor on, slowly add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Then stir in 1/4 cup plain yogurt.
Pour over hot linguine.

You could probably make a few batches of the recipe (up until the yogurt part) and freeze them.

[David Chenelle]

Pesto's are always a good idea. Make several varieties of pesto using mint as a base. You can mix it up and kick it up a notch by adding different herbs I.E. cilantro, dill, chives, tarragon, you get the picture.
Marinades for meats, use any mint drink recipe , reduce your liquids then blend with oil. For instance a mint mojito is made, add garlic and onions if you prefer and reduce down. Then it is blended adding oil to make a marinade for meats. I strongly suggest adding your mint at the time you blend to retain a bright green color otherwise the reduction tends to turn it dark. Don't forget to season the marinade with your favorite salt & pepper seasoning.
A simple mint oil can be blended to be mixed with other items.
It can be dried for tea.
English mint sauce is the best way to get rid of lots of mint. That is a simple recipe consisting of vinegar, sugar, mint, and a pinch of kosher salt.

Mint---------------------1 large bunch
Kosher Salt--------------1/2 teaspoon
Sugar-------------------1 teaspoon
Vinegar or Lemon Juice---1/4 cup

1) Wash and dry leaves of mint. Make sure there isn't any excess water.
2) Grind mint leaves, salt & sugar in a mortar and pestle.
3) When the mint has been ground to a fine paste, add the vinegar or lemon juice. If sauce seems to be too acidic dilute with a little bit of water.

Traditionally it is served with lamb. This sauce can be bottled. You can also find it in Indian stores because it is a great condiment with curry. It can also be served with chicken or pork if you so desire.
Have fun,
David