10 Creative Ways to Use Fresh Mint

Herbs & Spices
Fresh Mint Leaves

Mint is a beautiful plant you can use in many different ways. It's a popular herb that is easy to grow and you often end up with lots and lots of mind you don't know what to do with.

Once planted, mint will grow without much care on your part. It can take over your garden and spread everywhere. Typically, mint is a used to make tasty tea or lemonade, so expect to have plenty of it for all the teas and lemonades you need.

However, chances are that you will have even more mint than you need. So, what to do with it?

Here are some great ideas on what to do with your mint (not including tea and lemonade):

  • Use it as an ingredient in a marinade. Mint is great for adding a great layer to citrus-based and spicy marinades on seafood or poultry. To use it in a marinade, add chopped mint to orange juice, hot sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper. This will make a nice marinade for your meals.
  • Use mint as a salad ingredient. Another thing you can do with your mint is to use it in the salad. Simply chop up a fee leaves and add it to the salad. Mint will add a nice summery flare to citrus, ginger, beets, nuts, feta, cilantro, grapes and parsley salads.
  • Use mint in a side dish. Mint works great in any side dish you can think of. Add mint to grain salads (such as tabouli, couscous or faro). You may add some to pasta salad, roasted potatoes and other side dishes.
  • Use mint in pesto. You can simply toss a handful of mint with some basil. It will make an updated version of pesto.
  • Use mint in crostini. You can mix some mint with sweet green peas, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. It will make quick yet tasty crostini topping.
  • Add mint to smoothies. Mint is tasty and healthy so it will work great in smoothies. Throw a few leaves and mix with other ingredients. Mint works particularly well with pineapple, melon and strawberry smoothies.
  • Add mint to chocolate, cadies and baked goods. This idea may seem extreme, but mint works great sweets. You may use mint to add some flavor to your puddings, ice creams, candies, chocolate, and more.
  • Make a mint cocktail. You can use mint to make a refreshing drink. Simply muddle mint leaves with agave nectar and lemon, ad some rum and ice and you will have a tasty cocktail.
  • Make a mint sorbet. You can use mint as a palette cleanser in between courses or to prepare yourself for the next round of meal.
  • Make tasty ice cubes. You can simply add some chopped mint leaves to ice cube trays and make special and super tasty ice cubes.

Additional Fun Facts

  • Here are some additional fun facts that will make you love mint:
  • Mint can be uses to treat headaches. Apply it topically to ease the symptoms.
  • You may use mint to ease sensations of nausea.
  • Mint is great at activating salivary glands, which helps getting the digestive juices flowing.
  • Mint helps congestion and it opens the nasal passage and lungs.
  • Mint can be used to soothe stomach inflammation.
  • Mint inhibits the growth of bacteria inside the mouth.
  • Mint is a great to help freshen your breath.

Photo credit: .CK

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