Years ago, a friend gave me some mint that I planted in my front yard by a water faucet. After a season or two and the mint taking over that area, I decided to take it out of the ground and plant something else there. I was successful in removing all traces of the mint from the front yard, but apparently some roots inadvertently got mixed in with dirt in my backyard and now it’s gone crazy back there. When you read about mint being invasive, boy, they’re not kidding! 

I’m sure you’ve seen recipes that call for using mint. However, most recipes don’t specify what kind of mint to use. I can tell you from experience that not all mint is created equal. I’m pretty sure the mint in my yard is peppermint (which is the most potent and tastes best with sweet things) because when I used it in a savory recipe it tasted weird, too strong and totally out of place. After doing some research on mint, I found that the kind that is typically used in savory dishes (Mediterranean cooking, lamb dishes, salads, etc.) is spearmint. Now I am not a mint expert but I thought I would pass along a few things I learned:

Mint (Mentha)
- found on http://www.gardenguides.com/

The common types of mint are peppermint, pennyroyal, crinkle-leafed spearmint, spearmint, and applemint.
Never eat pennyroyal, as it is toxic.

Cultivation
Mint is a perennial herb that is propagated by root division or rooting cuttings in water. The plant is invasive and should be grown in pots or in lengths of plastic pipe buried in the ground. It enjoys a damp location, shaded from strong afternoon sun, and rich soil. Pennyroyal is an attractive addition to hanging baskets. Mint planted outdoors should be mulched heavily to protect against frost.

Culinary Uses
•Spearmint and crinkle-leafed spearmint are best for sauces. You can cook a few sprigs with peas and new potatoes to enhance the flavor.
•Spearmint, peppermint and applemint sprigs can be added to drinks and fruit dishes as a garnish. It also makes a refreshing tea.
•Peppermint makes an excellent flavoring for ice cream, chocolates, and other deserts.

Growing and Cooking with Mint
Peppermint is the mint of choice for medicinal purposes. It’s many uses include the following:
•The menthol in peppermint soothes the lining of the digestive tract an stimulates the production of bile, which is an essential digestive fluid. A hot cup of herbal tea is an excellent way to settle your stomach after a big meal.
•There is a very good reason that peppermint is the flavoring of choice for toothpaste. Peppermint is an excellent breath freshener. When using peppermint tea as a breath freshener, increase the effectiveness by adding a pinch of anise, caraway or cinnamon.
•Peppermint is reputed to have the calming, sedative effect.
•Menthol vapors are famous for relieving nasal, sinus and chest congestion. Remember those minty-smelling ointments your mother rubbed on your chest when you were a child with a cold? You can also get relief with a steaming cup of peppermint tea. To make peppermint tea, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.

Tags: In Season, mint

A friend gave me some fresh organic blueberries today. The plump berries looked so good that the first thing I did when I got home was take a picture of them. Then, as I was looking for blueberry recipes, I came across an article by Fine Cooking Magazine with some tips on choosing, prepping and storing blueberries. And did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? Yes, it’s true! Now back to figuring out what to make with these delicious berries… 

Blueberries…
-tips by Fine Cooking Magazine

what is it?
Juicy and sweet, small, round, and, well, blue, blueberries are a hallmark of summer, finding their way into pies, cobblers, muffins, poundcake, and pancakes. Blueberries are rich in pectin; with a bit of gentle cooking, they’ll thicken into a delicious compote to drizzle over ice cream. Wild blueberries are smaller in size, with a deeper, more intense flavor. They’re hard to find fresh outside of New England, but they’re widely available frozen.

kitchen math:
1 pint fresh = about 2 cups

how to choose:
You can judge some fruit with your nose, but not blueberries. Use your eyes first: Blueberries should have a lovely silvery-white bloom over the dark blue. Look for pints free of small, purplish or greenish immature berries, a sign that they were picked before their peak. Then use the heft test: Berries should be plump and heavy. The sure-fire way of judging blueberries is to taste a few, because sweetness is variable even within the same pint. Wild blueberries—much harder to find outside of the Northeast—should be tiny and almost black.

how to prep:
Pick the berries over and discard any immature berries or berries past their prime. Remove any stems and rinse the berries briefly in a colander. For most recipes, frozen blueberries should not be thawed before adding to a batter. Mix blueberries into batters gently and quickly, using as few strokes as possible to avoid crushing the fruit and turning the batter a glaring lavender.

how to store:
Before storing your berries, pick through them, discarding any squishy berries that may turn moldy and infect their healthy neighbors. Store the berries in the coldest part of the refrigerator, but not in a drawer, where it’s too humid and don’t wash them until you’re ready to use them. Fresh picked, they can last up to two weeks in an airtight container, although they can lose moisture during the second week and shrink slightly. For baking, this can work in your favor, however, because the flavor becomes concentrated. To freeze blueberries, rinse them in a colander, dry thoroughly on paper towels, and then spread them on rimmed baking sheets in a single layer until frozen solid. Once frozen, they go into plastic storage bags.

Tags: blueberries, In Season, Summer