Friday's Herbal - Mint

We've come to the final herb in my garden.  I feel a little sad knowing it's time to say goodbye to the summer garden.  Things are starting to wane and lose their bloom.  Others are still going strong, like this peppermint.

Common Name: Mint
Latin: Mentha spp.

The mint family contains many familiar herbs.   There are so many varieties of mint, and because of crossbreeding it can be very difficult to know just which mint you have.  You can know a member of the mint family by its square stem.  Mint is a perennial herb, native to Europe and Asia.  Most grow to about two feet tall, with flower spikes of tiny white, pink, or purple blossoms that arrive in July and August.

The origins of mint are told in Greek mythology.  Pluto was completely infatuated with the wood nymph Minthe.  His wife, Persephone, didn't like that one bit and became crazy jealous.  She turned Minthe into a lowly plant, so that she would be trampled upon.  Pluto couldn't reverse the curse, but he was able to give Minthe a lovely smell.  The mint plant we know today, takes its Latin name, Mentha, from this poor wood nymph.

Throughout history, mint has held a place of honor.  The Pharisees paid their tithing with mint and the Romans made mint wreathes with which they crowned their heads.  The ancient Greeks used mint in temple rites.

Mint has also been useful in the home and medicine cabinet.  It's long been used to freshen kitchens and sickrooms.  Pennyroyal, a member of the mint family, works to get rid of fleas.  Be very careful with this one though; taken internally it is highly toxic and an abortificant. 

Both peppermint and spearmint are very safe to use both internally and externally, and have a number of medicinal uses.  Most common is the cup of mint tea to calm an upset tummy.  I drank so very much peppermint tea to combat morning sickness 27 years ago, that to this day it is still hard for me to drink a cup.  For other people though, it is a wonderful aid to treat colic, digestive problems, headaches, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and flatulence.  It really does help for mild headaches.  A sleep aid for children and grownups alike can be made by steeping mint leaves in warm milk.  Peppermint is also said to relieve muscle spasms and menstrual cramps.  You can chew mint leaves to freshen your breath.  That brings to mind the scene in Como Agua para Chocolate where Tita encourages her sister Rosaura to chew mint leaves in an effort to win back the affection of her husband (who was in love with Tita!)

In your beauty routine, steep a cup of mint leaves in a quart of cool water and wash your face with this.  It's refreshing and stimulating.  Steep mint with rosemary in vinegar to make a dandruff treatment.  Mint water is also good for chapped hands. 

Mint has other uses in the kitchen beyond a pot of tea.  It's an important ingredient in tabouleh, and also adds flavor to Vietnamese Spring Rolls, and of course mojitos!  A good summer soup is made by whizzing cantaloupe in your blender, then adding a simple syrup in which you've steeped some mint leaves.  Pour in some pretty glasses or bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves.  It feels way too cold right now to even think of such a thing!

As I've mentioned, there are many varieties of mint.  In addition to the usual peppermint and spearmint, there are apple mint, pineapple mint, and even chocolate mint.  Catnip, field mint, pennyroyal, bergamot, horsemint, and corsican mint are all members of the mint family. 

Corsican mint, with its tiny leaves and compact growth, is very pretty in a rock garden.  Peppermint is a sterile hybrid and does not produce seeds, so if you see a packet of peppermint seeds at the store, that's not what you're getting.  Start your peppermint from cuttings, divisions, or nursery starts.  You can recognize peppermint by its dark green, hairless leaves, and of course the scent.

Mint can be quite invasive in the garden.  To keep its roots from spreading, plant your starts in a bottomless can at least 10 inches tall, with the can buried completely.  Mint likes a partly shady spot with lots of moisture.  Divide established plants in the fall.  As the plants get old, mints can get woody and straggly, so it's good to start with new divisions or cuttings.  You can trim your mint frequently to keep it looking tidy.

Fresh mint is the best for either culinary or medicinal uses, but you can dry or freeze mint as well.  The young leaves are the most flavorful.  You can harvest mint at any time during the growing season.

Well, there you go.  So long to the summer herb garden.  Now I'll have to see what other kind of mischief I can come up with for Fridays.  I have some ideas, some herbal ideas.

Do you have a fun weekend planned?  We have the appraiser coming this afternoon, so we can refinance the house since the interest rate is in a good spot.  Which means I have some cleaning to do.  They tell me they will be taking pictures, and my studio is a nightmare, possibly even hazardous!  I need to at least make a path for them to get in to measure.  My insane husband with the broken leg is in there trying to clean his office.  I have to go yell at him now and get him back to the couch;)

Have a great weekend!