Topic: mint in abundance

[Debs]

I recently cut my mint to the ground and it, and the rain, have kindly repaid me by producing an

abundance of lush green growth, which I do not want to waste.

Ive made a basic mint sauce (mint, malt vinegar, sugar) but it tasted pretty basic too  :-\

Does anyone have a good recipe for a mint jelly or any other minty recipes/ ideas??

Debs

[lillian]

Mint tea or drying it for winter use or freezing it. :)

[Bugloss2009]

Tabouleh is a famous recipe that uses lots of mint. Rather nice too

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5005385/Tabouleh-recipe.html

[grawrc]

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,18703.0.html
Gooseberry and mint jelly recipe is very good (provided by Supersprout).

And yes I love tabbouleh too .. in fact I think I'll make some myself.

[manicscousers]

Apple mint jelly
3 lb tart cooking apples, I use windfalls
1 1/2 pints water
half a pound of sugar
to every pint of juice
2 or 3 strips of lemon rind
bunch of mint
Cook apple, strain through jelly bag/muslin
measure juice and add sugar, when it has dissolved, add mint, boil until a nice flavour, they say add green colouring but i don't. Boil until set and put in small jars  :)

[antipodes]

I dry quite a lot and bottle it for winter, where I use it for tea etc. Actually even dried mint is quite nice in Tabouleh as long as it has time to re-hydrate before serving. It's also nice fresh chopped in fruit salad, for cocktails (long live the Mojito - rum, sugar syrup, soda, lime or lemon and a big handful of crushed mint!) and generally in salads.
There are lots of things to do with it other than mint sauce (which the French baulk at so have to find lots of other recipes for mine!) - it's also used in lots of Mediterranean and indian recipes - make a mint and cucumber yogurt and serve with curry!

A Tunisian lady here showed me how they make the proper mint tea - stuff a big handful of bruised mint leaves and stems into the teapot, then add a dessertspoon of GREEN tea. Just the green tea you get from the Asian grocers is fine. They then add an obscene amount of sugar but I find that about 5 or 6 teaspoonfuls in the pot is plenty for us. Add boiling water, stir and let it infuse for 4 or 5 minutes. Serve hot, delicious in warm weather.

[Debs]

Wow - who would have guessed there were so many uses for mint.

now need to get family members to save jam jars for me as I've made redcurrant jelly and strawberry

jam recently (sainsbury's basic range of strawberries were reduced to 20p a punnet ;) ) and now have

no spare jars.

I know they can be bought, but am loathe to, when I can get people to recycle theirs in my direction ;D

[Gadget]

Ask you neighbours, or do a midnight raid on their recycling bins, you will be amazed how many people throw jars away.. :o

[antipodes]

And a new idea I just posted: http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,68618.0.html

[zigzig]

Indeed mint does grow well. In my mind it is basically a weed and will take over any area given the chance so we always grow it in a tub.

Cut off a stem and place it in water. Within no time the stem will produce roots and we have a new plant.

In view of this I cut it hard back and compost excess. I agree it is a shame to waste a lovely flavour but the fact is mint'once established produces far more than we can use.

I hate waste too but with mint.

Well, we just have to accept that we can not use it all.

Grow a new lot every year. Is my best advice don't let the last years roots carry on. The leaves from the fresh growth are more tender when added to yoghurt or vinegar for sauces and dressing

Wish we could grow gold like that LOL