How do I use up all this mint?
This spring my wife and I started growing some herbs in containers on our (quite large) balcony. I got some nice big pots bc I know a lot of these like some space, and I planted a bunch of staples. On a whim, I planted some spearmint bc I figured it would be nice to have some fresh mint on hand for cocktails.
I knew mint was hardy and tends to grow out of control, but I didn't think much about it since it's in its own large standalone pot, away from my other plants. But Y'ALL. My other plants are dong okay but there is SO MUCH MINT. I'm barely doing anything and it's THRIVING. I don't even drink that many cocktails.
Other than cocktails and mint tea, I have no idea what to with the sheer quantity of mint I have. Even just ocassionally pruning the bits that stick out or have flower buds results in massive handfuls of mint that I don't have any idea how to use up.
Please give me advice on how to use up my mint!
Reading the title only, my first thought was "don't bother, it's more of a weed than a herb". But you're already clued in.
Keeping it in a separate container is a good idea. I do still recall how it grew roots under the brick paths in my parents' garden, using those to sprout up everywhere next season. Keep that sucker contained!
But yeah. Accept that you can't use it all. Otherwise...
Blend with the minimum amount of water you need to make a mint "smoothie". Pour into the tiniest ice cube trays (I use something like this) and freeze. You now have a year-round supply of mint.
Mint is great for Middle-Eastern and Indian cooking. Spinach pies, grape leaves, falafel, raita, chutney. (I'm vegetarian--there may be meat-related things I'm not familiar with.)
If left unattended, can mint be a good ground cover? Or will it grow too tall?
Mint can grow quite tall, so probably not a good ground cover if you want something less than 4in.
Having a mint yard sounds wonderful and I can imagine the smell when you have to mow it 😜
Mint and fruit is a hugely underrated combination. One of my favorite summer recipes is to break down a watermelon with a melon baller, then sprinkle with olive oil, mint, feta cheese, and flaky salt. Usually I would use peppermint but I think spearmint would still work pretty well here too. It's super refreshing during hot weather, takes maybe 10 minutes to make, and is a welcome addition to a potluck or picnic (in my experience).
You could make mint syrup. It is incredibly easy!
If that interests you, I can give you a recipe, but there are many online as well, just make sure you make it shelf stable.
I guess that sort of just moves the question along one step though -- what are some uses for mint syrup? I've used some before but only in a cocktail.
Cocktails, teas, hot chocolate candies etc. You could add it to chocolate cake or ice cream. It isn't extremely versatile or useful for a lot of people, but I like it.
Edit for spelling.
Mint syrup mixed with a freshly squeezed lemon and some ice cold water makes for a refreshing drink on a hot day!
Oops! Meant to say I like it, but you're spot on. Lemon and/or lime is great with mint! As is ginger, cucumber, seltzer and so on!
Mint goes wonderfully well in a lot of southeast Asian cooking, such as spring rolls and pho. If you haven’t tried it out before I’d recommend it!
You can use a lot up by drying and crushing. Dried mint is a staple in my house. Use it for seasoning meats or, what's common in middle Eastern household, make a yogurt drink my mixing it with yogurt, salt, and a little bit of water and ice to thin it out. It's like a lassi. Also, spread labne/Greek yogurt on a plate and season it with mint, olive oil, and whatever other spices you like. My classic is aleppo pepper, but a lot of combinations work. Eat with pita bread or chips. So good and easy for a refreshing snack.
Mint can indeed become pretty invasive, so don't hesitate to aggressively prune it.
To use Mint, my favorite summer recipe is greek yemista: stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers, with rice and herbs.
It's got no where to go since it's in a container and I keep the other pots away from it, but yeah I have chicken wire around it discourage my cats from getting to it and keeping it within that is difficult on its own. I can only imagine what it would do with access to more space 😓
You can dry a bunch to use for cooking thru the year! And for teas. You can also cut it up and pack it in use size packs, but I'm not sure how long it would last. Here's a guide with different ways to dry it.
Oh and you can look up how to make mint jelly, and how to can it properly for safety. Mint jelly is really good with pork or wild meat, or if you don't eat meat I bet it works with a lot of other dishes!
A sprig of mint is nice on vanilla ice cream.
One time when I had too much mint I dried it, I had good mint tea for the next year or so.
This is a family favorite! We've slowly modified the recipe to our liking, with more cream and parmesan.
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/mini-shell-pasta-with-a-creamy-smoked-bacon-and-pea-sauce/
Mint is great to use with other herbs loke parsley or cilantro to make a green sauce --
Green herbs, salt, pepper, evoo, garlic, then parm. Mix it up as you like
Blend it up or hand chop everything.
Great for dressing roasted veggies
Okay really important note I haven't seen here: are you aware you can freeze mint leaves? As long as they are not browning you can safely freeze them and use later.
All of the above applications work but if you aren't planning on doing them straight away, just freeze a bunch to buy yourself time.
For mine I freeze them and then take it out for like a mocktail or a water, strawberry and mint delicious drink. Especially if you make cold stuff you don't need to defrost it first, you can just add them frozen to add some cool to the drink. So for a smoothie or a drink or a cocktail just add the leaves straight from the freezer. So easy!
Cucumber + lime or lemon juice + mint + your sweetener of choice. In a blender with ice. It's kind of like a non-alcoholic mojito!
It doesn't use up that much mint though 😅 I would just let it grow, as I think the smell of mint keeps pests away, so it's nice to just have around the house.
It's currently also serving as a barrier to keep my cats from going onto my neighbors' balcony, so it being big is definitely beneficial at least for that!
I think mint is toxic to cats so I hope your cats don't get too near it!
So far they're good about it, but I have a little chicken wire around the plant itself which helps
Ice cream
Mojitos (Dozen mint leaves, with sugar if you wish, a shot of rum and half a lime quartered. Muddle in a pint glass. Add seltzer and ice. Stir).
Chimichurri
Mint chimmichuri looks interesting, Im absolutely going to play around with that idea. Thanks for the share!
I actually used a bunch of fresh mint last night. I made a cucumber salad (cucumbers + mint + scallions + lime juice), with a slaw (cabbage + lime zest + scallions + chopped peanuts + oil + vinegar), to go inside my Moo Shu (hoisin, oyster & soy sauce + sesame oil + garlic, ginger & mushroom powder) marinated pork tacos.
The salad + slaw combo is great on its own though. Give it a try if you want something light, summery, and refreshing. :)
ooh that salad + slaw combo is definitely getting tried out for sure
Mint based salads are great. Super refreshing. So if you're looking to use up a bunch of mint, I would start googling for mint+salad+recipe, and I'm sure you'll find plenty worth trying. :)