Mint: Uses & Storage

[Stevarino]

Thought I'd share this with you...

Here's an awesome way to use up an herb garden! I make this marinade that has Jamaican overtones that is fantastic on chicken & pork.It requires a large amount of herbs.

Pictured here, I have a large amount of cilantro, sliced onions, thyme, and habanero peppers.

The ingredients are pretty basic, which you can tweak to meet whatever cooking genre you wish to achieve! For this recipe, I use salt, brown sugar, ground allspice, Thai fish sauce...

and lime juice. Amounts of each are subject to your own taste. I am really bad at measuring stuff.

In this photo, I've added the salt & brown sugar, and the salt starts breaking down the herbs almost immediately...

but within five minutes or so, a liquid will form in the bottom of the mixing bowl, to which I add the ground allspice, Thai fish sauce, and the lime juice.

I put it in a food processor and puree it, which releases and homogenizes all the flavor.

This stuff will stay good under refrigeration indefinitely, due to all the salt and sugar, acting as a preservative. I use this two ways; I lay cheesecloth over the meat I want to marinate, and pour it over the top, and I also sqeeze the juice out, and use it as a seasoning, like worcestershire.

You could have a mojito party with all the mint, and Barbeque marinated chicken & pork. The mint, simply bruised, and added whole to diced watermelon is very refreshing as well.

Hope some of these ideas are helpful!

[Smithy]

Stevarino, that is a beautiful series of photos with a wonderful-sounding result. I'm glad you posted that. My herb garden is coming into its own, with its typical boisterous mint and thyme and cilantro, and I just bought my first bottle of fish sauce not long ago.

Why do you put cloth between the meat and the marinade? Is it just to keep the bits and pieces from sticking to the meat, or is there more to the story?

[lperry]

When you make tabbouli, you can use about 1/4 mint with the parsley and it will be very nice. Mint is also good in summer rolls - the ones with the soft, rice paper wrapping.

For preserving, you can always make your own mint jelly, and home grown mint dries beautifully. If you use it within the year, there will still be very good flavor if you seal it in a glass jar. I dry bunches every summer and use the leaves when I brew black tea for iced tea.

Edited to add that mint tea is nice on its own and you can easily make your own using dried mint from your garden.

Edited May 19, 2008 by lperry (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

Make some mint chutney it uses a lot of mint ..

2 handfuls of fresh mint

2 jalepenos

Juice of 2 limes

1 sweet onion

Put everything into the food processor and chop it well add a little water if needed for consistancy taste and add salt if you like you can add anything to this but that is the basic recipe I use

Edited May 19, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Make mint vinegar: mint leaves, a pinch of sugar, malt or wine vinegar.

Another idea is mint sorbet. Mint, water, sugar, sweet wine, some kind of acid like lemon juice to brighten flavors.

[mkayahara]

Unfortunately, trying to keep up with mint planted in your yard is likely to be a losing proposition.

My favourite use for mint, aside from those already stated, is Moroccan-style mint tea (which is very sweet and uses a proportion of green tea along with the mint). And, of course, mint is always a nice accompaniment to lamb. If you've really got a lot and want a "use" for it so you don't feel like you're wasting it, maybe you could roast a leg of lamb and put a bed of mint on the serving platter? You won't eat it, but it'll will look pretty and smell beautiful!

[lperry]

Make mint vinegar:  mint leaves, a pinch of sugar, malt or wine vinegar. 

Another idea is mint sorbet.  Mint, water, sugar, sweet wine, some kind of acid like lemon juice to brighten flavors.

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What do you do with the mint vinegar? I like the sorbet idea. I'm imagining lemon-mint sorbet on a hot summer day...

[SobaAddict70]

Make mint vinegar:  mint leaves, a pinch of sugar, malt or wine vinegar. 

Another idea is mint sorbet.  Mint, water, sugar, sweet wine, some kind of acid like lemon juice to brighten flavors.

←

What do you do with the mint vinegar? I like the sorbet idea. I'm imagining lemon-mint sorbet on a hot summer day...

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With lamb and similar preparations where you would use mint jelly.

[heidih]

I use it with abandon per all the suggestions upthread. I also add torn leaves or small whole ones to dinner salad every night and use big handfuls as a bed when roasting/baking chicken, beef, pork, fish. Finely minced alot of it goes into most quick marinades before grilling. Although mint seems like a strong flavor, I personally find it loses so much in any application that is processed. I just look at it as a challenge to use this great spring/early summer gift. I also tuck it into lots of small vases and jars all around the house because I like the way it looks, and touch releases the essential oil and gives me a mental happy moment.

[prasantrin]

Mint lemonade. Did someone mention that one already? Especially nice when made as a blended ice drink.

[Tri2Cook]

Mint mousse, mint ice cream, mint sorbet, mint custard, mint panna cotta, mint... that's enough. I'm starting to feel like a character from Forrest Gump. I go through a lot of mint during spring/summer but I have to pay for mine. A yard full of it would be fun.

[laurelm]

I love mint pesto, I use the recipe here as my base idea for the pesto: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109391

so good with any lamb...

Another tip I may have even read about here is taking individual mint leaves, dipping in chocolate and freezing them. Makes a great after dinner bite.

[C. sapidus]

Mint is wonderful in Thai-style salads. Also try Parsi green chutney and fish in banana-leaf parcels (patra ni macchi).

Even so, you will probably never stay ahead of the mint.

[jsmeeker]

Mojitos

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and when you run out of rum, bust out the gin and make Southsides. Or, really, just go straight to the Southsides before you run out.

[teagal]

I made brownies yesterday with about a half cup of mint leaves chopped up in them. MMMMMMM

[purplewiz]

I make a cilantro mint pesto. It freezes VERY well (I freeze it in ice cube trays then put the cubes in ziplock bags) and pairs well with chicken, pork, fish, and vegetables (especially peas and cauliflower). This recipe is a riff on one from Fine Cooking.

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup mint leaves

1/3 cup unsalted peanuts (see note)

1 jalapeno, seeded

1 green onion

juice and zest of one lime

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/3 cup peanut or canola oil (approximately)

Put the cilantro, mint, peanuts, jalapeno, and green onion into a food processor. Using pulses and scraping the sides as necessary, grind into a coarse paste. Add the lime juice, zest, and fish sauce, and process until a smoother paste and slightly cloudy.

While the processor is running, add the oil in a slow drizzle until the sauce comes together. You may need more or less oil. Adjust seasonings with salt and/or sugar as needed. (I used splenda and it worked great.)

If you use salted peanuts, you may need less fish sauce.

Marcia.

[Sony]

The other day I made an egg sandwich that used a little mint- 2 slices stales bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic, over easy egg sprinkled with hot sauce, and a few pinched basil leaves and mint leaves tucked in. The warmth of the egg and bread slightly wilted the fragrant herbs- SO good!

[Pierogi]

OK, so I'll admit that I haven't read through all 6 pages of suggestions (tooooo late.....toooooo tired......toooooooo early of a morning tomorrow.......) but these are two of MY favorite uses for mint, in addition to the delightful cocktails mentioned above:

Indian raita. A yogurt salad, most often with shredded or finely (very very finely) chopped cucumber, chili pepper, cumin, and fresh mint. My favorite recipe also uses some sour cream (about 1/2 as much as the yogurt, which should be the VERY thick kind) and a tomato. So good with curries. Used as a cooling side dish to the spicy mains.

Toss some slivered (chiffonaded) mint in with most summer fruits. Strawberries-yum. Peaches/nectarines-ditto. Mixed melons (especially cantaloups/honeydews/crenshaws)---sublime.

[nakji]

I have a huge mint plant that I want to be able to enjoy the bounty of all winter. It's almost impossible to find commercially where I live, and I want it around for making mint sauces and the like. Is it possible to puree, then freeze and yield an acceptable product for use in chutneys/sauces? Or will it turn black?

[qrn]

I have a huge mint plant that I want to be able to enjoy the bounty of all winter. It's almost impossible to find commercially where I live, and I want it around for making mint sauces and the like. Is it possible to puree, then freeze and yield an acceptable product for use in chutneys/sauces? Or will it turn black?

I also have a big plant, but have never tried to keep it,

but I do take genovese basil and put it in a food processor and pour some light olive oil in and pulse it lightly to get the oil coating every thing and get a very course paste, Then off to the ice cube trays and freeze, then vac pack with the foodsaver in 4/5 cube bags and back to the freezer..Will last a couple years and still be very nice and strong tasting...Might work with the mint,,,,Just a thought...

Bud

[LindaK]

Not related to storage, but I made some vietnamese spring rolls for dinner tonight and used lots of fresh mint. delicious, perfect hot weather food.

[KatieLoeb]

An oil free mint and parsley pesto would freeze well in ice cube trays. Pop out the cubes and bag in a Ziplock freezer bag for those winter days when any taste of warm weather foods are welcome.

I've often made an "herbal" simple syrup with 2 parts mint leaves to one part each cilantro and basil leaves. Drop the leaves into the still hot simple syrup and allow to cool slightly. Buzz up in the blender (carefully holding the lid on with a kitchen towel so as not to have an explosion and have to clean sticky stuff off the ceiling. Yes. I know of what I speak...) and allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator. Strain through a fine strainer. You'll have a delicious green herbal syrup that's yummy for sweetening iced tea, lemonade, for use in cocktails, etc. I like this very much with bourbon and bitter lemon soda for a summertime cooler. Tasty with gin and ginger ale too. The possibilities are endless. It's good to have this in your fridge. It should keep well in the back (coldest part) of the refrigerator for several weeks, at a minimum.

[maggiethecat]

It's June, and here in the Chicago Burbs it was the first full day of spring that wasn't too cold or too wet to garden. Geezopete, what a mess!My knees will creak tomorrow, and I don't know if I'll be able to stand straight. But you know, I got some weeding and pruning accomplished, the lawn had dried out enough to be mowed, and if I squint the garden out back looks pretty in the setting sun.

Then there's the 50 by 4 foot "Garden" on the southeast side of the house, the testament to the virility of mint. It's all mint, bushels of it. I'll cripple myself futilely trying to pull it out tomorrow, but that much minty booty seems a shame to waste on garnishes and cocktails.

Can anyone help me out ? I'd love to know ways to cook with/preserve a cubic meter of mint. Sauce? Jelly? Freezable pesto? Peppermint drops? Help a gardener out.

[heidih]

Oh Maggie - my favorite food blog has a recipe up now for a mint salad. Handfuls with soy, sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, sugar, salt and chili oil. Here is the post with the recipe

[DanM]

Given the current heat, chocolate mint ice cream.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/05/mint-chip-ice-cream-recipe-chocolate/

Dan