Growing and Using Mint

Mint is all around you - literally! There are many varieties of mint and it has long been used as flavorings in foods, gum, toothpaste, antacids, and cough drops.

Mint is great for using in herbal teas, salads, soups, cookies, and for this Kentucky girl - mint juleps!

This article will look at the many varieties of mint, how to grow it (and contain it) and some exceptional recipes you will love.

You can check out our other articles in the growing herbs series.

I’m sure your friends have told you that mint is an invasive weed. Well, in a way it is. However, that means it’s very hardy and easy to grow. Mint has many practical uses and should not be overlooked. The key is to plant with care.

Mint is from botanical genus Mentha which contains twenty-four species and is related to sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. They are perennial herbs that are noted for their aromatic smells and medicinal qualities.

Mint teas soothe stomach aches and indigestion as well as being great for coughs. In addition, mint essential oils can repeal nasty biting insects such as flies and fleas.

Varieties

There are many varieties of mint with subtle taste differences. They run the gamut from tiny plants to tall bushy plants.

Apple Mint Mentha suaveoloens

Apple mint is my very favorite variety. It is wonderful used in iced tea. You can mix it with lemon balm for additional flavor. A tall cultivar that gets very bushy and three feet tall.

Applemint does grow quickly and spreads if not contained. The picture below is from our gardens and started as two plants! Hardy in USDA zone 5 - 9.

Applemint growing at Fox Run

Bergamot or Orange mint Mentha aquatica var. citrata

If you are from Kentucky and have been to a Derby party, then you know this mint! Bergamot is used to make Mint Juleps wonderful summer liquor. It has a strong scent and is also popular for potpourris.

Bergamot has a strong odor and is rich in essential oils. It’s widely used in the perfume and essential oil industry.

Chocolate Mint

A favored mint for making cookies and other desserts. The taste is compared to chocolate mint patties. Chocolate mint is actually a hybrid mint developed for its unique flavor.

Dark green leaves on an eighteen-inch plant.

Corsican Mint Mentha requienii

This tiny mint which grows only an inch tall is a wonderful ground cover in southern climates. It is native to Sardinia and Southern Italy and France, thriving in warm humid weather.

Corsican mint is great for use in between stepping stones or lining a walkway. It gives off a delightful mint aroma when walked on.

Peppermint Mentha piperita

The traditional flavoring mint that we are all familiar with from candy too. It has a strong rich flavor that makes a salad jump up or adds flavor to meat dishes.

Variegated peppermint has cream-colored markings on the leaves that make it attractive in your edible landscape or complimenting flower beds. The variegated variety is a bit more sun-sensitive so it works great in a semi-shade area.  

Spearmint Mentha spicata

Spearmint always makes me think of Wrigley’s chewing gum. However, it is different from peppermint in a few key ways. Spearmint leaves are a bright green and it produces lavender flowers on six-inch stalks. The “spear” in the word spearmint actually refers to the pointed serrated leaves on the plant.

Variegated Scotch Mint

This is a smaller mint variety that is perfect for containers with a mild spearmint taste. It grows to about twelve inches and is somewhat less inclined to spread.

Variegated Scotch mint has beautiful coloring which makes it stand out in the edible landscape. The leaves are gold and green which provides a pleasant contrast.

Growing Mint

Mint is hardy and easy to grow. You can grow mint from seeds, transplants or cuttings. It likes well-drained soil with plenty of well-rotted manure. I add aged compost to my mint beds every spring to give it a nice boost for the growing season.

Keep Moist

Mint likes moisture. There is an old expression that says plant your mint by a dripping faucet.

Sun or Shade

Mint also does well in part shade. Too much sun and heat can deplete the essential oils in the plant.

However, many varieties do great in full sun. Harvest in the morning when the plant’s essential oils are most concentrated.

A great option is to put in the morning sun with afternoon shade.

Keep it Contained

Keep your mint home! Mint does like to wander and spread its wings (or roots in this case). They have a shallow root system that forms runners so it can expand.

Give mint its own section of the garden. That can be a raised bed, a container, or a corner of the garden that’s somewhat neglected and not bothered with other plants.

My chocolate mint plant lives outside on the patio in summer and inside in winter - not on the stove - thats just a photo op! Photo by Ame Vanorio

Mint is lovely planted along the foundation of a home and will help keep fleas and flies away. It would be wise to place some edging between the mint and the home’s foundation.

Starting Seeds

Seeds do not always come true to the parent plant. Typically you will see the seed sold as Common Mint.

Start seeds inside six weeks before your last frost date. The seeds take up to two weeks to germinate.

To sow gently press seeds into a premoistened medium. Do not cover the seeds as they need light to germinate. Mint will germinate in cooler temperatures of 55 - 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Transplanting

Transplant your seedlings when they are about four inches tall. Space them eighteen inches apart in the garden.

You can also find transplants (and many fun varieties) at your local garden center.

Cuttings

Mint grows readily from cuttings. Both stem and root cutting will work.

For stem cuttings cut off a stem at about six inches from the top and remove the lower leaves. Place the stem in a glass of water in an area of diffused light. The stems will root in a couple of weeks.

Flowers

Mint makes delicate purple, white, and pinkish flowers at the end of the flower stem. The flowers are great for pollinators. So I always let some plants flower.

The flowers also lower leaf growth and reduce essential oil production. So for harvesting - harvest before flowering.

Preserving Mint

Drying Mint

You can dry mint in several ways. Herbs dried quickly in a microwave or food dehydrator tend to hold here flavors more.

1.      Gather sprigs before they have flowered, tie in a bundle, and hang in a room with good air circulation yet out of the sunlight.

2. Dehydrator - Typically herbs get dried on the lowest settings. So dry mint in a dehydrator at 100°F for up to five hours.

3.      Dry in the oven by removing the leaves from the stems and laying a single file on a baking sheet. You can dry mint in the oven at 105°F (40°C) for 2-5 hours.

3.      Microwave mint leaves by placing a double layer in between paper towels. Microwave on high for three to four minutes.

Freezing mint

Freezing mint, or other herbs, is great if you like to use it in winter cooking such as stews or soups. When frozen the mint loses some texture and is a bit limp.

Mint is easy to freeze. Just put fresh, clean leaves in a small freezer bag. Date the bag and place in the freezer.

Mint Jelly is Easy and Fun To Make

Mint Drinks

Summer days are long and hot. For those of us that live off-grid dealing with the heat can be a challenge.

I like to get out early in the summer, tend to the animals, get dirty in the garden, and stop at about 1:00 pm. I then grab some iced tea, something light to snack on, and my computer. Then I am all set to sit in the shade and work on my blogs.

Ame’s Apple Mint Ice Tea

I use the sun tea method of brewing my tea. I fill a large one-gallon glass jar with a lid with water. Next, I add one fourth cup honey, two tablespoons of lemon juice or a sliced fresh lemon if I have one, and two bunches of fresh sprigs from my apple mint plants.

I stir it all together with a wooden spoon, place the lid on the jar, and let sit in the sun for several hours. I like to stir the mixture every hour or so because I think that blends the flavors and releases more oils.

You can then just pour into a glass filled with ice or store the entire jar in the refrigerator. I dont strain out the leaves but you can certainly do that before storing.

Hot Tea with Fresh Herbs

Hot tea is easy to make. Chop up one cup of fresh mint leaves. Place them in two cups of boiling water. Turn off the heat. Cover and let seep for five to ten minutes. You can choose to strain the leaves out or just eat them along with drinking the tea.

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep – recipe by Glenn Andrews

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon of sugar

• One tablespoon of minced fresh mint leaves

• One tablespoon water

• Crushed ice

• A pretty sprig of mint

• One and one-half ounces of Kentucky Bourbon (no another type of bourbon wont due)

(this recipe makes one Mint Julep)

Process

1. Place the sugar and the mint leaves into a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon mash the mint leaves and the sugar together.

2. Add the water and stir.

3. Fill your glass half full of ice. (technically you should be using a Kentucky Derby glass)

4. Pour in the bourbon and the sugar/mint mixture.

5. Fill the glass with more crushed ice.

6. Top with the pretty sprig of mint.

7. Relax!

Cooking With Mint

Mint goes well with so many vegetable dishes. Add it to honey glazed carrots, potato salad, and peas. Chop it up and add it to a salad. Chop up fresh leaves, mix them in softened cream cheese, and spread on whole-grain bagels.

Fresh mint is great in desserts.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

• one stick, unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• heaping 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place the butter and mint in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, swirling occasionally. After about 2-3 minutes, when you can smell the mint, turn the heat off and let the butter continue to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Strain the butter, pressing the leaves to extract all of the butter from the leaves.

3. Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugars. Beat until light and creamy, 3-5 minutes.

5. Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer while running, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary.

8. Finally, add the chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

9. Remove the cookie dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap, and press flat into a disk. Chill for 1 hour.

10. Preheat the oven to 350.

11. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, rolling into 12 balls. Space 6 balls on each cookie sheet (the cookies will spread considerably).

12. Bake for 11-12 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through.

13. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Mint is Great for Using in Crafting

Mint Potpourri

To make potpourri you must first dry all the ingredients.

• Mix together one cup of dried spearmint and bergamot leaves.

• Add two tablespoons of powdered orris root

• One tablespoon each of lemon peel and orange peel

• One teaspoon of allspice

Mix everything together gently and place in a pretty bowl or dish

Take Away

Mint is a delightful, refreshing herb that should be in your garden.

Author, Ame Vanorio, is the director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center. Ame lived off-grid and gardened organically for over 29 years. She now is contained to a patio garden, and community plot, and inserting herself in her son’s garden! Check out Ame’s books here.