What to make with Fresh Mint

What to do with fresh mint? How to keep it as fresher longer? How to store it? Get to know your mint better, along with some tips and tricks! Get the best mint recipes for desserts, sides and main course meals

Got fresh mint?

Its a race against time to make sure you use it before it looses it vibrant green luster!

The struggle is real, people. I feel your pain!

Tips for keeping mint fresh

• If you get the store bought fresh mint, wash it thoroughly first
• Gently dry it and then place it in a dry paper towel
• Place the paper towel in a ziplock bag and write the date on it
• In the refrigerator, keep it away from the yellow light. Place it in the darkest part of the fridge
• Use up the mint within 10 days
• Grow your own mint and keep it in your herb garden so it will stay fresh longer. Balcony and Garden Web has so many great tips on growing it indoors
• This is what it looks like after 10 days. Its a little worse for the wear, but, still in good shape

5 Ways to use fresh mint

• Dry it in the oven and use it in teas, coffee, ice cream or soups
• Mix it in vegan butter to make compound butter
• Put it in salad dressings
• Make lemonade out of it
• Turn it into a pesto recipe.

Growing mint

I have LOVED growing my own mint, but, sadly, they never stay alive for very long. I have tried growing them indoors and outdoors too, but, they didn’t last long.

Growing mint outside worked better for me. They mint plant lasted long than when I grew it indoors. I took lots of advice from the internet and the best advice came from Bonnie Plants. You can even contact them through the help button and ask them your questions.

As for growing it indoors, the best tips I have found are on Balcony and Garden Web’s site. They make it easy to grow mint indoors without any hassle

If you grow your own mint, share with me some of your tips. Comment below and let me know. I am always happy to hear from the experts.

What to make with mint

• Summer Fruit Salad
• Frozen Hot Chocolate
• Watermelon Salad
• Pear Salad Dressing
• Sugar Snap Peas with Mint Paste
• Za’atar and Mint Dressing
• Pasta with Grilled Veggies
• Pasta Sauce with Fresh Herbs
• Spicy Smoothie
• Carambola Jam
• Affogato

Questions about mint?

I love working with fresh mint and it shows! Here are some common questions I have been asked about mint.

If you have more questions about mint, feel free to comment below.

What to do with yellowed mint / rotten mint / browned mint?

If your mint is turning brown, yellow or any color that is not green, it can still contribute to something useful:
1) Put it in your indoor compost container.
2) Spread it around trees or outdoor plants and let it compost into the soil.
3) Put it vinegar, add baking soda and use this combination to clean surfaces of your home.

How long can mint stay fresh?

If stored properly, it can stay fresh for 2 weeks. Sometimes, I have been able to stretch it to 3 weeks

How many types of mint are there?

There are over 600 Varieties of mint (Source: UCDavies). Here are the 17 most common varieties of Mint

Can it be frozen?

Yes, they can be frozen, but, they have to frozen in the right way. Never freeze mint directly. Instead, put it in ice cubes, add extra virgin olive oil to it, cover the tray and freeze it.

You can also put it into a vegan compound butter recipe and freeze the butter.

Summer fruit salad

I love the taste of mint on fruits! It changes the flavors of the fruit for the better, don’t you agree?

This fruit salad recipe uses my mint vinaigrette recipe. The whole recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and its beyond delicious

Take it to picnics, eat it for brunch, lunch or even dessert. I like the addition of quinoa to the recipe because it adds extra nutrition to it

Frozen hot chocolate

There is nothing better than drinking a frozen hot chocolate on a HOT summer day!

Don’t just take my word for it, make it today and you will see what I mean.

In the milk, I steeped a leaves of mint and then added the other ingredients when the milk cooled. Its so very easy that you can make it every day of summer

Top it with vegan whipped cream and some chocolate syrup! You have earned it.

Watermelon salad

The has a few mint leaves in it, as well as the pear salad dressing. This salad is a fun salad to make for summer that happens to be picnic friendly too.

It takes less than 10 minutes to make, so, run to the kitchen and make it now

Pear salad dressing

This is now my all time favorite salad dressing. I love its simplicity and its light taste

The biggest selling point for it is that its a no-oil salad dressing! how cool is that?

Sugar snap peas

Why it plain old sugar snap peas when you can eat them with fresh mint!

I muddled fresh mint, salt, ginger and a couple other ingredients. Then, I sauteed sugar snap peas before mixing in the mint paste

Za’atar and mint dressing

There isn’t a better aroma than when za’atar and mint come together!

This salad dressing is, by far, the most aromatic salad dressing ever. Its perfect for a fruit salad or a regular salad

Pasta with grilled veggies

Every time I think of pasta, I think of the sauce. How do I make it without marinara sauce?

This time, I made it with a mint, parsley, sun-dried tomato sauce. Add grilled veggies to it and this is the perfect pasta recipe

Pasta Sauce with fresh herbs

Fresh Mint, butter, parsley, breadcrumbs and pasta!

What else is there to say about this recipe! Its a quick and easy pasta recipe for any day of the week

Spicy smoothie recipe

This is not your average smoothie recipe!

There is spice and mint in it. You have to try it to know why I love it so much

Carambola jam

Mint is great in any jam recipe, especially a fruity one.

This is a carambola with kiwi jam recipe and its beyond delicious

Matcha affogato

Muddle mint, add matcha and some sweetness.

Mix it with ice cream and you have the perfect dessert on your hands

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Now that you are a mint aficionado, impress your friends with your knowledge. Pin it, share it on Facebook and Tweet about it! Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.