Mint leaves can be harvested at any time. They can be dried for storage by laying out on paper towels for a few days or just frozen fresh.

Use Mint also for...

•Decoction made with mint leaves cures all stomach ailments including indigestion
•Boil few mint leaves in milk; add sugar to it and drink it when you have stomachache
•Apply mint juice to acne every night and wash it with cold water early in the morning. This remedy works for dry skin also.
•Add some salt to mint decoction and gargle with it to get relief from sore throat.
•Apply mint juice on skin affected by Eczema, Scabies and Dermatitis
•Mix 5 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons honey in a ¼ cup mint juice to get relief from acidity, thread worms and Diarrhea.
•Mint tea relieves from menstrual cramps and heavy menstruation
•According to traditional medicine mint is a contraceptive. Taking ½ teaspoon mint powder with water 10 minutes before intercourse prevents pregnancy.
•Taking mint juice at night before going to bed induces restful sleep
•Taking mint tea half an hour before meals stimulates appetite
•Infusion made with mint leaves is useful for cold, flu, hiccups and flatulence
•Keep your breath fresh by chewing some mint leaves
•Mint cures from dog bites, scorpion and beestings
•Mint has an excellent wound healing properties
•Infusion of mint is good for hypertonic diseases, atherosclerosis, and kidney and liver diseases


Things You Didn’t Know About Mint… But Should Have

Just hearing the words "fresh mint" on a warm summer day and my mind conjures up the southern symbol of hospitality, a lengthy sprig of green mint submerged in frosty tumblers or icy silver cups of mint juleps.

Later, when the cold weather rolls around and the holiday season appears, with its warn and traditional dinners, mint changes its look and adapts itself to the coming season. Mint will then be used dried or frozen to flavor and garnish pork roasts, vegetables, jelly sauces, jellos and creamy desserts. Mint has its last harvest in the fall, so this is the time to pick the leaves for drying or freezing for the winter.

Whichever way one eats it, drinks it, or prepares it, mint is an herb with many beneficial uses for good health. In fact, the reason most of our ancestors grew this pungent herb was for its many health benefits. Even today, naturalist still employ peppermint to treat gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and the common cold.

The herb, mint, belongs to a large family with over 30 species, the most common being peppermint and spearmint.

Native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, mints interbreed often, making it difficult for even an expert to distinguish all the varieties. All mints contain the volatile oil menthol, which gives mint that characteristic cooling, cleansing feeling.

The Greeks believed mints could clear the voice and cure hiccups. In fact, mint is part of Greek mythology and according to legend - "Menthe" originally a nymph, and Pluto's lover angered Pluto's wife, Persephone, who in a fit of rage turned Minthe into a lowly plant, to be trod upon. Pluto, unable to undo the spell, was able to soften it by giving Minthe a sweet scent, which would perfume the air when her leaves were stepped on - thus aromatic herb Mint.

I guess that why I just naturally plant mint along my walkways, where my clothes can brush softly up against it as I pass by or I can step upon its perfumed leaves and release refreshing mint fragrances into the air. On warm summer nights these beguiling aromas are especially invigorating.

My ancestors, like most who came here from across the sea, brought this pungent herb to America primarily for medicinal uses.

Mint is a perennial and its seeds can be sowed in flats or in the ground. Once the tenacious herbs take hold in your garden, it is very easy to propagate them by cuttings and transplanting once the root system is well established. Mint needs humid soil and only moderate sunshine. It will grow in, out and around all garden plants, not unlike a weed, this herb is tenacious and dedicated to spreading through the garden. The trick is to continuously cut it back and restrict growth. Otherwise this herb will spread like wild fire through your garden in the form of strong willed runners. Frequently cutting or mowing of large plots will keep mints at their prettiest. In late fall, cut back to the ground and mulch if winters are severe. Roses make good companion plants.

Mint can be grown in pots and planted with other herbs. And according to legend this is a good herb for keeping ants away from doors and combating mice and fleas. Keep mint leaves near food, beds and wardrobes. Use it to freshen the house like an air freshener it brings the fresh smell of herbal fragrance into every room. It can be simmered in a pot of water with Rosemarie, and lemon grass to create a unique and lively potpourri.

The mint varieties come in a number of good and useful flavors. There is one called Chocolate mint to be used in desserts, Spearmint for drinks, Peppermint for drinks & desserts and garden mint for general cooking Pineapple mint for salads & cooking.

To reduce the effects of tannin and caffeine in your favorite tea use fresh mint, Spearmint, or Peppermint sprigs in your teapot with your favorite tea. Snap a few well-sized leaves off, wash, and add to your teapot. Steep for 2-3 minutes. Longer for a more potent flavor.

Many cooks like to add chopped mint leaves to scrambled eggs, and omelets, for a change of pace, or to egg substitutes to enhance the flavor. Add the mint at the end of cooking of scrambled eggs or omelets. Too much heat will turn the mint bitter. Fresh mint leaves are good in salads.

Mint is commonly used with peas. Carrots, potatoes, eggplant, beans, and corn to pep up the flavor.

Ingredients needed for traditional mint juleps:

* 5 med. fresh mint leaves plus one fresh sprig for garnishing
* 1 1/4 teaspoon sugar
* 2 tablespoon cold water
* Finely crushed ice
* 2 full ounces Kentucky Bourbon

Place the mint leaves, sugar and water in an 8 ounce silver julep cup or highball glass. With the back of a spoon, lightly crush the mint, and then stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour in the bourbon and pack the glass tightly, with crushed ice. With a long-handled spoon, gently giggle the mixture to mix the ice and bourbon together until the outside of the container becomes frosted. For the finishing touch, garish with a sprig of fresh mint before serving.

Makes 1 drink. (a traditionalist and true julep connoisseur would remove the crushed mint leaves before serving)

Make a minty vinegar by boiling white vinegar with orange peel and fresh mint leaves. Make a dessert-or-drink-ready simple syrup by boiling a cup each of water, sugar, and mint leaves. Make a bracing spirit by adding your simple syrup to a big pile of mint leaves and a bottle of good vodka. The essential oils in mint stand ready to lend themselves to almost any carrier you can think of.

Bring Your Feet Back to Life: If summer sandals have done a number on your tootsies, try this minty foot scrub recipe from Health.com: Combine 1 cup sea salt, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 6 drops peppermint essential oil. Scrub feet, then rinse. The salt exfoliates, and mint's menthol soothes sore muscles.

Drinks
A few sprigs of mint in a pot of tea can amp up its flavor and is especially lovely for iced tea varieties. While mint and tea go hand and hand, don’t forget that mint is also excellent when paired with fruit juice. Mint works well especially with juices made from melon, lemon, and tropical fruits. Consider adding just a few leaves of mint to freshly made or store bought juice, and allowing the juice to sit for a few minutes prior to serving. Alternately, garnish each glass with a leaf or two of mint, or make mint ice cubes by placing a leaf of mint into an ice cube tray, covering with water and then freezing.

Mint leaves are essential in many alcohol-based drinks, like the ever-popular mint julep. One can find numerous recipes for both sweet and savory drinks in cookbooks and on the Internet. Chocolate liqueurs, like those made by Bailey’s are also an excellent place to use a mint garnish or mint ice cubes.

Desserts
Chocolate and mint are natural partners, and your fudgy brownies can easily become mint chocolate wonders with a little peppermint extract. Fruit salads topped with whipped cream can also incorporate mint. Mint frosting will work especially well with white and yellow cakes, and especially angel food cake. Also, consider peppermint meringues as a cool and low-fat dessert and don’t forget mint extract in freshly made ice cream. Crushed peppermint sticks can also be added to ice cream for a sparkling and clean finish.

Another common way to use mint in dessert cooking is by making mint sorbet. This can be used to cleanse the palate in between courses at an elaborate meal. Adding a bit more sugar can make mint sorbet an excellent and cool finish to a meal.

Vegetables, Grain, and Fruit
As mentioned, a little mint in fruit salad can dramatically change its flavor. Mint can also work well in green salads. A little mint and peanuts will give a salad a Southeastern Asian appeal. The herb is also commonly used in Middle Eastern food. One can garnish hummus with mint, or add a little chopped mint to tabbouleh. Mint mixed into couscous can enliven this otherwise plain grain derivative.

Cooked veggies like peas, corn and carrots can all be infused with mint flavor. A minute prior to ending cooking, add a mint leaf or two to these steamed vegetables. Remove the leaves before serving and you’ll have a new way to make these classic vegetables appealing.

Entrees
Mint marinades or chopped mint goes very well with certain meats. Lamb is often served with mint, and is best known. Mint also complements certain types of seafood like lobster, scallops, and sole. Consider mint chutney with these, or lobster dipped in mint garlic butter.

If you enjoy Vietnamese food, don’t leave out the mint. Many of the “make your own” rolls served in Vietnamese restaurants include thin rice pancakes, strips or balls of cooked meat, and a beautiful pile of fresh herbs and dipping sauce to add together for an Asian style burrito. A little mint in Thai or Chinese egg rolls can also change the taste, or savory egg rolls could be dipped in a mint sauce. A tiny amount of chopped mint can garnish scrambled eggs, omelets, or egg foo yung.

Table Décor
Mint is also very attractive as part of a flower arrangement, and its fresh smell makes it very appealing on a dinner table. Consider growing your own mint and adding tall stems to roses, lavender, or carnations. The smell can be a little overpowering, so do limit mint to just a stem or two.