Are you fortunate enough to have fresh mint or lemon balm growing in your yard like we do? Do you need more ideas for how to use it, though?
Yesterday we got talking about what to do with fresh mint. There were so many tasty ideas for how to use it (and a lot of great ideas came through Facebook, too), so I wanted to share them with you.
We were talking about fresh mint, but most of these would be good ideas for lemon balm, too!
- Ann Marie said: “I like mint in chilled filtered water, with or without cucumbers. Or in iced tea or lemonade.” Lydia Joy added, “Dry it and save it for mint tea all winter long!” (I did this with cilantro this week: clean it and lay it on your dehydrator to dry and store – easy.)
- Ann Marie also suggested mint chocolate chip ice cream! (Anyone know how to use fresh mint in this? My recipe calls for peppermint extract. I'll update the post when I hear from you!)
- Mint jelly is good on lamb (Anyone have a good recipe?)
- Serve it on crackers w/ cream cheese. (Doesn't that sound so light and delicious?)
- Four ways to use fresh mint from Kimberly. I love her pictures in this post.
Add to a Tabouli Salad – yum!- Vanilla mint tea
- Have you seen Kristen's apple mint skin toner?
- This one I need your help with! A while ago I promised a guest post for Kimberly Hartke with a recipe for a low-sugar homemade Mojitos recipe, but after much experimenting, I can't get it right! (I made some pretty disgusting concoctions.) If you have a good recipe, will you send it to me to try? ([email protected]) Once I have it down, then I can finally get that guest post to her. Thank you!
Do you have more ideas? Comment below! (Also, feel free to leave links in the comments if you've seen a post with good ideas for using fresh mint or lemon balm.)
photo credit, another photo credit
One thing that a lot of people don’t know is that peppermint is great for a hangover!
Susan, can you send me your recipe?? 🙂
we make a great homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream with fresh mint and my husband considers it the best he’s ever had (and he loooves mint chocolate chip ice cream, so he’s had a lot)
It is also super easy to make:
-Put 2 c coconut milk, 1 cup heavy cream, a large handful of fresh mint leaves, and 1/4 cup pure cane sugar (totally optional) in a blender (we have a vitamix)- we also sometimes add a few pastured egg yolks for extra protein
-Blend until smooth and “green”
-Pour into ice cream maker and add mini dark chocolate chips
-Follow ice cream maker directions and enjoy… amazing!
Years ago, I picked tiny cucumbers, lemon balm leaves and bought Thia Chilies. All these were combined to make “dill” pickles.
Best pickles we had ever eaten!
Kelly for ice cream- you heat the mint leaves in your cream/milk on the stove and then let it steep. Longer it steeps the brighter the green color.
I have been trying to get rid of the lemon balm in my garden for 2 years! It is spreading like mad!
I have 3 kinds of mint, one is chocolate mint. I really didn’t know what to do with it. After reading this post I decided to make popsicles. My popsicles are more like smoothies frozen. I put some leftover coconut milk, milk kefir, frozen raspberries & blackberries in a blender with a handful of chocolate mint.
this is my favorite mint recipe and I’m always surprised how much body and depth the summer squash soup has.
https://chocfarm.shutterfly.com/food/11
Use the mint for Mojitos!
I made low carb mojitos with fresh mint. They were divine! I got the idea from Laura Dolson at https://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/beverages/r/lowcarbmohitos.htm.
I muddled mint leaves, limes and xylitol in the glass. Then I added rum and seltzer.
As for lemon balm, I only make hot tea. It is very relaxing. I give it to my kids when they need to be settled for bedtime.
Hi Kelly, 🙂
This would be a great post to share with my “Wildcrafting Wednesday” blog carnival tomorrow. It’s all about using herbs – for cooking, cleaning, crafts, tinctures, whatever way you use herbs in your family. 🙂
Hope to see you there.
~ Kathy
I actually need to know how to erradicate some of my mint! We planted 3 sprigs 8 years ago and mint now fills an area 6′ x 12′ – and spreading! I’d like to get rid of half of it. Any ideas?
Watermelon gazpacho!
I have wild mint growing by my place. I picked some for iced tea and then I tried to do a Mojito flavored water kefir. Tea was good but the kefir was not!
I made mint syrup this year and it turned out fabulous! I just add a little to soda water and make my own minty soda. Here’s a link to my blog post with the recipe
https://craftypantscarol.blogspot.com/2011/06/rhubarb-syrup-again.html
I bought a book about chocolate for a chocoholic friend a few years back and in it is a PHENOMENAL recipe for chocolate mint chip ice cream using real mint leaves infused in cream, and, get this, blanched SPINACH to impart the subtle green coloring. It is so insanely good I can’t tell you. I do have a photo of the recipe on my iPhone and I can also get the book title for you of you are interested! There is obviously quite a bit of sugar in it but also tons of good, whole cream and dark chocolate bits. Divine!
Yes! Would you email me the recipe and picture??
Thanks!
Kel
Will do!
Put pear, orange juice & mint into blender with crushed ice & you gave a very refreshing smoothie! You can also add some greens to it to add more nutrition.
I use lemon balm for tea occasionally. Mint reminds me of being pregnant, yuck!
Steep it with tea bags for naturally flavored tea….hot or cold.
I dry the leaves and store them away to use as needed. We add a lot of mint to tea in the winter.
Lemon balm is one of my favorite herbs but I don’t have a lot of uses for it. My current favorite thing to do with it is quite simple. I slice an onion in rings, and saute it in olive oil, over low heat, for about 1/2 hour. When it’s done, I add a bit of balsamic and some chopped fresh lemon balm. The scent – and taste – is intoxicating.
Thanks for the ideas in this post. Will have to try some in tea. Why didn’t I ever think of that?
I have three types of mint and peppermint growing right now. We’ve been making a gallon of sun tea every other day. Take a gallon jar, fill it with filtered water. Pick a couple of big handfuls of mint, rinse off, and then put the whole thing in the jar (stems, leaves, everything – not chopped) and add 5-7 tea bags. Cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band – let sit outside in the sun and heat for several hours. I then take the tea bags out, but leave the mint in. Chill. My husband swears that the mint tea is very soothing to his tummy. We love it!