Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

We are being overrun!

No—really. I’m not joking.

With all the cool evenings and warm days my mint patch has literally exploded.

I thought I was being clever when I potted up a few of my favorite kinds of mint (spearmint, peppermint and some plain old garden mint someone gifted to me) to control its invasive growing habit, rather than plant it directly in the garden.

Seems I wasn’t so clever after all. Those aggressive little…I won’t say it…grew right through the hole in the pots and PLANTED themselves in my flowerbed. NOW, I have a forest of mint! Yikes.

I know what you’re thinking…

…we complain when a plant doesn’t produce and now I’m complaining when it produces too much.

Mint is one of those plants that grow extremely well regardless of the conditions, so controlling the chaos is a bit of a challenge.

With way too much on my hands I set out to find a few awesome ways to use and preserve my little radical greens. Here are a few:

1.  Make mint lemon water – add a few sprigs of mint and several slices of lemon to a cold jug of water. It will keep you cool and refreshed no matter how hot the day.

2.  Add it to iced tea or lemonade – for a twist on a summer classic.

3.  Use as a room freshener – cut a few sprigs and place in a decorative vase or Mason jar.

4.  Keep the bugs out – mint attracts “good” bugs and repels “bad” bugs, so plant up a few pots of Penny Royal mint and place them near doorways to repel ants and flies. I said POTTED, right?

5.  Breathe freshener – who needs mint gum when you can just pluck and chew on a mint leaf?

6.  Pair with fruit or veggies – mint gives a light fresh taste to veggies like tomatoes, peas, cucumbers, potatoes and beets. Or, mince and sprinkle on a bowl of strawberries.

7.  Mojitos – this is a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t love an ice cold glass of lime juice, sugar, club soda, and rum, with a spring of mint, of course.

8.  Tame an upset tummy – place a few peppermint leaves in a cup and pour hot water over. Let cool slightly and drink warm to calm things down.

9.  Mint Pesto – whip up a batch of mint pesto to use on homegrown lamb kabobs or grilled chops.

10.  Create a relaxing bath – pour 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup Epsom salts and ¼ cup of mint leaves in your bath for a relaxing, muscle easing soak.

11.  Make fleas flee – pets can be bothered by fleas in summer, so bundle up 2 parts fresh spearmint, 1 part fresh thyme and 1 part fresh wormwood, and tuck it inside a small pillow, placed near your pet’s bed or another favorite resting place.

12. I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!!

Minted Lemon Slushy

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
• ½ cup honey
• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 generous handful mint leaves, remove from stems

DIRECTIONS:

• Juice lemons and remove any seeds. In a small pan, slowly heat lemon juice, honey and ½ cup of water. Stir until the honey dissolves. When mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and toss in mint leaves. Let steep for 10-minutes. Strain out leaves and add remaining water. Pour liquid into ice cube trays and freeze.
• When ready to serve, put minted lemon ice cubes into a blender and blend. Slowly add water until it reaches the slushy consistency you want (about a cup). Serve immediately with a sprig of mint.

Need a little more color in your life? Try juicing “Pink Lemonade” lemons for a fun summertime twist.

Want a more decadent version? Add a ½ cup of gin to the blender and add water only if you need to.