Mint grows so easily in the garden that you inevitably find yourself harvesting this delicious herb all summer long! What to do with all that fresh mint? Here are a handful of our favorite recipes.
Mint Ice Cubes:
These are great in your water, lemonade, or ice tea. Simply stick a mint leaf or two in each compartment of your ice cube tray during the freezing process. You can add a dash of lemon juice as well for an extra flavor boost.
Mint Tea Punch:
- Pour 5 cups of boiling water over 5 teabags. Add a dozen sprigs of mint. Let steep for 8-10 minutes and then discard teabags and mint.
- Add a cup of lemonade concentrate and a cup of orange juice concentrate.
- Add a cup of sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Pour in 5 cups of cold water.
- Serve with ice cubes (mint ice cubes!) and a fresh fruit or herb garnish.
Mint Butter:
- Combine 1 stick of butter, 2 tablespoons of chopped mint, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a bowl and mix until well creamed.
- Transfer the creamed butter into a storage container and place in refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Enjoy on grilled veggies and meats, fish and pasta!
Fresh Melon and Mint Salad:
- Cube or ball six cups of fresh melon. A mix of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew is quite heavenly.
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of either lemon or lime juice.
- Add melon and a 1/4 cup chopped mint to the bowl. Mix up ingredients so that the melon is coated with the mint and the honey/juice.
- Serve lightly chilled.
Mint Gelato:
*You will need an ice cream maker for this recipe
- In a small bowl, make a slurry of 3 tablespoons whole milk and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Set aside.
- In a sauce pan, combine 2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves, 1/3 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to an almost-bubble on medium heat and then turn off stove and let the mixture steep for an hour.
- Strain liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, squeezing the mint to get all of its goodness. Discard leaves.
- Reheat this minty milk on medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add whole milk/corn starch slurry and stir until there are no clumps. Continue heating until it’s thick enough to sit on the back of a spoon.
- Let cool completely (likely overnight) and then place in your ice cream maker, following the machine’s instructions.
- When serving, drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top or add a slice of candied lemon peel or some freshly sliced strawberries!