Mint
Mint, also known as mentha, refers to a group of around 15 to 20 perennial plant species. The most popular types are peppermint and spearmint. Known to have originated in Asia and the Mediterranean region, mint is a versatile herb has been valued for centuries not only for its fragrance, but also for its many medicinal benefits.
Mint’s high antioxidant content makes it a beneficial herb. It contains vitamins A, B2 and C, as well as the minerals zinc, calcium, copper and magnesium.
There are several different types of mint. The most common are:
- Peppermint has the classic minty fragrance when you rub its leaves. Peppermint can be used dried or fresh.
- Spearmint grows wild all over North America. This variety is popular because of the flavor it adds to chewing gums and toothpaste. When used raw, spearmint makes a great flavor enhancer for salads.
- Catnip is a flavor of mint that cats adore. Also known as catmint, it doesn’t have any culinary uses.
- Bergamot has a citrus fragrance. It’s also known as lemon mint and is common in teas.
- Lemon balm is often used as a garnish for drinks.
Most mint plants can be identified through their toothed leaves, squared stems and small lipped flowers (either purple, pink or white). Use mint for your health and home.
- Eating fresh or dried leaves is used to treat bad breath. Breath mints and chewing gum can mask foul smells for a couple hours but aren’t an optimal long-term solution for bad breath. Peppermint tea and chewing on mint leaves may be more beneficial in reducing bacteria that cause bad breath because of the antibacterial properties of pepermint.
- Inhaling essential oils might improve brain function and cold symptoms. One study including 144 young adults demonstrated that smelling the aroma of peppermint oil for five minutes prior to testing produced significant improvements in memory.
- Applying mint to the skin to reduce nipple pain from breastfeeding. A recent study showed that both the pain and severity of nipple cracks decreased in mothers who applied menthol essential oil after each feeding.
- Taking capsules of peppermint oil with food may help treat IBS and indigestion. Multiple studies have shown that food passes through the stomach quicker when people take peppermint oil with meals, which could relieve symptoms from this type of indigestion. Although treatment for IBS often includes dietary changes and taking medications, research shows that taking peppermint oil as an herbal remedy might also be helpful. Peppermint oil contains a compound called menthol, which is thought to help alleviate IBS symptoms through its relaxing effects on the muscles of the digestive tract. A review of nine studies including over 700 patients with IBS found that taking peppermint oil capsules improved IBS symptoms significantly more than placebo capsules. One study found that 75% of patients who took peppermint oil for four weeks showed improvements in IBS symptoms, compared to 38% of the patients in the placebo group. Mint helps increase bile secretion and encourages bile flow, leading to easier and speedier digestion. Peppermint in particular has been found to relieve pain and discomfort caused by gas and bloating. It may also help alleviate gastric ulcers.
- Mint helps alleviate allergy symptoms. Rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in mint, has been studied for its potential in helping to relieve seasonal allergy and asthma symptoms. This antioxidant works by inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. According to a study published in Biofactors journal, taking 50 milligrams of rosmarinic acid daily helped reduce the levels of inflammatory molecules and eosinophils or allergy-related white blood cells, leading to significantly decreased symptoms.
- Mint can help relieve nausea and headache. Just the scent alone provides quick relief for nausea and, in fact, it is added to soothing balms intended for nausea. Inhaling crushed fresh mint leaves will provide the same effect. Mint may also soothe the inflammation and temperature rise associated with headaches and migraines.
- Mint cools and soothes the throat, nose and other parts of the respiratory system and helps alleviate congestion brought on by coughs and colds.
- If you are feeling depressed, anxious, sluggish or exhausted, mint may be useful. It was also found to help increase pain threshold in humans.
- If used topically, mint can provide a number of benefits because of its calming and cooling properties. It may aid in relieving insect bites, rashes, sunburn and other skin ailments.
Certain groups of people should take caution when using this herb. Mint may exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, so people who suffer from this ailment should refrain from taking mint. Those who have experienced gallstones should also be cautious not to consume this herb. Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways to use mint without ingesting it.
The Greeks used it to clean their banqueting tables or added it to their baths and the Romans believed that its scent could prevent people from being angry, and that eating it would boost their intelligence.
Today, products like toothpaste, inhalers, soothing balms, chewing gum, breath fresheners and candy use mint as their base. Other ways to incorporate mint into your home:
• Flea and tick repellent Mix two parts fresh spearmint, one part fresh thyme and one part fresh wormwood, and tuck it inside a small pillow. Place the pillow near your pet’s favorite resting place or in his bed.
• For a scrub, mix a cup of Himalayan salt, one-third cup of olive oil and six drops of peppermint essential oil. The salt exfoliates your skin while the menthol soothes sore muscles.
• Add a few drops of mint essential oil to your homemade cleaner. You can also dilute three to five drops of mint essential oil in a cup of white vinegar, and add it to a gallon of water. This solution works for wood, concrete or tile floors.
How to Buy
Young mint sprouts are considered the most flavorful, but fully-matured leaves are also fine to use. Before buying any mint, do what is called a ‘bruise test.’ Squeeze one of the mint leaves between your fingers: Good, fresh mint will release menthol and leave a strong scent on them.
Mint is a robust herb and can be bought in most markets all year round, though it is probably cropping up in your garden today. Sometimes it acts like an invasive weed!. It thrives in temperate climates. It will be one of the first plants in any garden to sprout in spring and it will grow under almost any condition.
Mint comes in varying shades of green, white, and purple. All mints have a few things in common: squared stems and flat, simple, sometimes fuzzy leaves. When shopping for mint, it’s important to know what you will be using it for. Peppermint and spearmint are the most common varieties of mint. Spearmint is better put to use in savory dishes and peppermint, in sweet.
How to Store
If not stored properly, fresh mint can easily wilt and lose its flavor.
1. Once you remove the bands holding the mint together, trim the end of the stems.
2. Stick the mint stems in a tall glass container and add enough water to cover the cut ends.
3.Keep it in your fridge. Make sure to change the water every two to three days.
Another technique is to wrap fresh mint in a damp paper towel. Make sure that the leaves are not being crushed and the mint stays intact. Place it in your fridge. If stored properly, fresh mint can stay fresh for several weeks.
Mint and other delicate herbs such as chives and dill are best preserved in your freezer. An easy way to do this is to place them into ice cube trays and freeze. Wash and chop the herbs before placing them in the tray compartments. Fill the compartments with water and place the trays in your freezer. Once they are frozen, extract the cubes and place them in freezer bags. When you need mint, you can place a cube or two into your dish. Mint cubes are ideal for sauces, as well as for teas and soups. Your fresh mint can retain much of its flavor for several months when frozen like this.
Another freezing technique is instead of chopping the sprigs as you would for the ice cube method, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and keep it there for about three hours. Remove the sprigs from the cookie sheet and place into silicone bags. Freezing them like this allows the mint sprigs to freeze without sticking together so that you can remove and use exactly the amount that you need. It also keeps your mint flavorful for several months.
You can also dehydrate mint. Wash the mint sprigs and allow them to drain. Remove the leaves from the stalks and place on the trays in your food dehydrator. Follow your food dehydrator’s instructions for drying herbs. In most cases, this will involve setting it to about 90 degrees and drying it for up to 4 hours. You can do this in your oven on a low temperature, too. Check the progress often.
How to Cook
Mint is very versatile. You can use it in savory and sweet dishes alike. It can be muddled for mojitos and mint juleps, or brewed as an infusion. It can chopped up into tabboulehs, melted into sugar for hard candies or blended into a smooth chocolate mousse. Mint can be turned into a garnish for rices, soups, noodles, and curries, used as main ingredient in a Thai salad.
Using frozen mint: Mint ice cubes can be used in sauces, teas and soups. To use the frozen mint as fresh, place the cube in a glass until melted and strain through a sieve to remove the mint from the water.
