Mint Leaves

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Are you growing peppermint or spearmint? Peppermint is more commonly used for sweet dishes such as candies and ice creams while spearmint is used for savory dishes.
 
I add mint to my juicer. Apple andd mint is delicious. Carrot, apple and celery (my most frequent juice) is also great with mint, as is any melon.
 
Andy M. said:
Are you growing peppermint or spearmint? Peppermint is more commonly used for sweet dishes such as candies and ice creams while spearmint is used for savory dishes.

Erm.. i dont even know whats growing! :rolleyes: How could i tell the difference?
 
Taste them. Spearmint will taste like Wrigley's Spearmint gum. Peppermint has a sharper bite to it than spearmint. Go to your local drug store and buy two tins of mints, one spearmint and the other peppermint and you will be able to tell the difference right away.
 
I had a LOT of mint this year also. Any my daughter always has to have the flavored mint varieties. We had chocolate, lemon, pineapple, sweet, and regular this year. She plucks them off and eats it constantly! But I would snip them at the base, and put them in vases of water with sprigs of lavender and place around the patio and sitting areas to repel bugs! Mint will live a long time as long as there is plenty of water! oh yeah, and it spreads!!!!
 
daisy said:
Mint Jelly (2)
2kg tart apples
3 cups strong mint water
2 cups white vinegar
sugar

To make mint water, steep 500g mint in 3 cups water overnight. Next day, chop apples and place in a pan, barely cover with water. Cover and simmer about 1 hour until apples are soft. Strain. Combine apple juice, mint water, and vinegar and strain again. Measure and place in a pan, adding cup for cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boiling and cook rapidly until the jelly will set. Bottle and seal. Serve with meat, especially lamb, or on toast, in sandwiches etc

I would like to make this. What are the U.S. measurement equivalents, anybody?

Daisy, do you process the jars of jelly in a hot water bath? Or not, and keep them in the fridge?

Lee
 
2kg is 4lb.

I never hot-water-bath any jellies, jams or pickles. It's an American thing to do that, and not necessary. Just put the boiling hot mixture into the jars, filling to the brim, put on the lids and leave to cool. As it cools, a vacuum forms inside the jar, giving the lid a hermetical seal. No need to refrigerate until the jar is opened.

Note: I always put an all-metal knife into the jar while it's being filled. That helps prevent the glass from shattering.

Americans don't feel comfortable with this, so they HWB our of habit. It's up to you.
 
Okay, a few more questions, since I WILL make this and give it as gifts (I have a lot of spearmint) so I want to do a good job of it.

What's the U.S. equivalent of 500g of mint leaves?

You simmer the apples, then strain through, say a colander, and just save the juice, throwing away the flesh?

Then after you add the mint water and vinegar to the apple juice, you strain again through what? Cheesecloth?

Thanks, Daisy!

Lee
 
500g is 1lb.

I'd strain out the apples through a fine mesh strainer to collect the juice. You don't want lumps in jelly.

For the next straining, use whatever you'd normally use for straining - a very fine mesh strainer, coffee filter paper, cheesecloth, old pantyhose. I use teabag paper from a roll (like a roll of kitchen paper), because I just happen to have it.
 
daisy said:
500g is 1lb.

That's pretty rough. Alithough I'm sure it's close enough for most things, it's not exact enough for some others (baking for example).

One pound equals 453.592 grams

500 grams equals 1.102 pounds, or 17.637 ounces.
 
If anybody cares to measure out a precise measurement such as 17.637 ounces, and if your kitchen scales are accurate to that extent, then by all means go ahead.:wacko:

I was brought up (until well into adulthood) on Imperial measurements, but have been using metric since 1966, using the conversions offered as guidelines to Australians by their then-government when required. I am therefore very conversant with both Imperial and Metric measurements, and the conversions of both back and forth.

500g is a very nice convenient and easily multiplied/divided figure resulting from a conversion of 1lb, and it works like a dream for me and millions of other Australians. Those same conversions work equally well for umpteen million other people throughout the world as well.

What Americans seem to have difficulty with is 'rounding' of numbers. What some don't have difficulty with is splitting hairs.
 
Yep. We went metric in 1966 too Daisy...and I am now able to work with any recipe without a problem. Metric. Imperial. Cups, sticks and spoonsful!! :) :chef:
 
It doesn't matter whether you're making a cake or a bread or pastry or pancakes or play-dough or glue or anything else - the 500g per 1lb measurement works brilliantly the whole world over - even in America.

I have never heard of even the most celebrated and talented and knowledgeable chefs who are into scientific precision measurements! A kitchen is not a laboratory, after all. :ROFLMAO:
 
daisy said:
500g is 1lb.

I'd strain out the apples through a fine mesh strainer to collect the juice. You don't want lumps in jelly.

For the next straining, use whatever you'd normally use for straining - a very fine mesh strainer, coffee filter paper, cheesecloth, old pantyhose. I use teabag paper from a roll (like a roll of kitchen paper), because I just happen to have it.

Done!

Thank you, Daisy!

Lee
 
Buy some Vietnamese rice paper (i.e., a Southeast Asian version of a burrito). Some grilled beef or chicken, sliced, or boiled shrimp, halved lengthwise. Lettuce or cabbage, julienned or thin sliced cukes. Then add all the herbs you can find, and mint in all its forms are premier. Soak the rice burrito until just pliable. Place on a cotton towel so it absorbs the excess water, and just make the "burrito". You can make your own dipping sauce with any variety of recipes, but you can also buy peanut sauce and/or other sauces at the grocery store. But for me the mint makes it. When I do it with shrimp, you start to roll the veggies, do one turn, then put the shrimp in so that when you're through you have those pretty pink shrimp showing through the roll.

Buy "bean threads" or "rice vermecilli" and cook according to instructions. Then I immediately put in an ice water bath to keep them from overcooking (they're more delicate than Italian-style wheat pastas). Drain, then use a pair of scizzors or two sharp knives and cut them up. Again, I sometimes make my own dressing (this should be somewhat vinegar-y), but sometimes buy an Asian type vinegarette or peanut based dressing. Cucumbers and LOTS of herbs, mint being a perfect one for this. If I'm making it in advance, I dress the noodles and refrigerate, but wait to add the mint until just before serving.
 
Mint leaves go very nicely with Larb (Thai spicy minced meat salad). Add Thai basil and scallions for extra punch. You can search for Larb recipes here in DC.
 
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