Fresh Mint Ideas To Help You Enjoy Your Herbs

2 pots of fresh mint growing in their pots — Fresh mint growing in their pots, the best way to plant them so they don’t spread too much in your garden

Have you ever asked yourself, what can I do with all this mint? I have many ideas for you. First and foremost, you can eat it. That’s right, just munch on it right off the plant. It’s a great breath refresher. I’m not saying you have bad breath or anything, but it will save you hundreds on mouthwash. He he!

Let’s look at some ways you can make the most of the mint you accidentally planted in an area of a garden that you didn’t intend to plant. I might have done this myself in my haste to get things planted once we moved in two years ago.

I LOVE mint, as well as all herbs, but mint is so versatile. Find my post from last summer on making Mint Sun Tea. You can freeze it in ice cubes, put it in your chicken’s coop to keep out flies, and best of all you can put it in chocolate cake. Yum!

sun mint tea in glass with ice and in a 1/2 glass jar — Sun Mint Tea is ready to go!

Here is a post on brewing hot mint tea from a friend of mine, enjoy!

Health Benefits of Fresh Mint

According to my blogging friends, the Finches, who you can follow here with their own post on Mint!

The first one is a duh moment, it can keep your breath fresh!
Rich in nutrients, such as antioxidants and Vitamin A
It is good for your gut issues such as IBS and can ease the digestive system
Can also kill bacteria in your mouth, who knew?

I have a list of my own:

Good to dry and hang in the chicken coop, to keep away flies!
You can plant container plants with Peppermint, rosemary, and Lavender to keep bugs from entering your house, or near your patio table. I also like this post about Bug Repellent Luminaries!
Sometimes I drink some when my headaches get bad

Types of Fresh Mint to Use

Can you eat fresh mint leaves? Yes, eating them raw or cooked are all safe ways to eat mint.

There are over 600 different types of mint! Here are some of the many kinds!

Chocolate mint (of course!)
Lemon Mint
Mountain Mint
Spearmint
Peppermint
Anise Hyssop

Are Mint Plants Easy to Grow?

Yep, mint is a little too easy. You probably want to keep it in its original pot, otherwise it will take over your garden. Keep it trimmed so it will bush out.

Mint is a perennial so it will come back year after year.

How do you keep mint fresh? You can preserve it by either storing it in the frig in a little water in a jar, dehydrating it, air drying or you can freeze it in ice cubes!

What do you do if you need some in the winter or early spring? You can always buy some at the grocery store. It’s in the produce section. Or better yet, at your health food store, sometimes they sell potted herbs, if you keep it in the sun and water the pot from the saucer the roots will take up what it needs.

Some of My Favorite Ideas From Around the Web

Mint Oil- This sounds so exotic! You can pour it over fish, veggies, fruit, or rice!

You start with 4 cups loosely packed mint leaves, 1/4 C. coarse salt, and 3/4 cups oil of choice. Get the recipe here.

fresh mint leaves on a counter top — Fresh mint leaves, just washed.

2. Soup- This sounds yummy! It has cucumber, mint, melon, and lime! So refreshing on a hot summer day! Chilled Melon, Cucumber and Mint Soup.

3. Face Mask- What? Yep, mint goes with everything! I know I am trying this! How awesome will it feel after you’ve been out in the garden and you need to cool off? The suggestion says to crush a couple of mint leaves in with your clay mask. (Don’t know if this person tried this, but make sure not to get any into your eyes, owie!) I would suggest washing your hands really well after applying just to make sure.

4. Toothpaste- I know, this one is not a fresh mint recipe, it is an oil, but… I LOVE this idea! How much simpler could it be? Homemade toothpaste.

5. You could use the leaves, dried ( I know, I lied), and mix it with some Epsom salt. Next, if you have some essential oils, try out different combinations in the water after you throw in the dried mint/Epsom salt mixture. Try some lavender, sweet orange, or lemon!

6. Last fall I tried to do this particular mint idea. It uses vodka and fresh mint leaves and when you ferment it is supposed to turn into mint extract. Well, I thought it would be such a special gift to my husband’s family. It didn’t exactly work right. Fresh Mint Extract recipe. I want to try it again this fall when I am overwhelmed by mint. Currently, I have Peppermint and Spearmint planted, so I usually mix the two in anything that I make.