15 Ways to Use Mint

Various herbs and seasonings can be used not only to add a special taste to tea or food, for many of them there are much more options for use. Some of them you may not have even thought about. Today we'll talk about mint. This herb not only has an excellent fresh aroma, but can also help you out in so many situations.

Beneficial features

Mint is included in many traditional medicines. In modern pharmacology, the plant is used as a raw material for the production of tablets, drops, ointments, alcohol tinctures and ointments.

Benefit for health:

Calms the nervous system, relieves tension, helps with sleep disorders.
Increases appetite, stimulates the production of gastric juice, promotes proper digestion. Relieves pain and spasms in the intestines.
Has anti-inflammatory effect. Can be used to treat acne, as it effectively eliminates itching and redness.
Normalizes heart function, useful for high blood pressure.
Stimulates blood circulation, dilates blood vessels, increases their tone.

Photos of recipes with mint

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Hair rinse

This product will make your hair smooth, soft and silky, get rid of dandruff and tones the hair follicles by improving blood circulation, which will accelerate hair growth and strengthen the roots.

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500 grams of mint
2 liters of water.

Pour hot (not boiling) water over the mint, cover with a lid and leave for half an hour. Rinse your hair with this decoction after washing; you don’t have to rinse it off.

Mint for gastrointestinal problems

The plant also has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. When taking tinctures, signs of heartburn, nausea, and cramps in the stomach and intestines disappear. This action helps in the fight against certain diseases.

For gastritis, you need to take the infusion 1 tsp. three times a day. If you have problems with the liver, you need to add a herbal mixture of yarrow to mint and drink 250 g half an hour before meals.

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If you have acute chronic colitis, you should brew mint for 20 minutes, then strain and take the same.

Mint for headaches

A regular peppermint tincture will help relieve headaches.

The recipe for its preparation can be based on alcohol or water - they are distinguished by their mild action and the fact that alcohol tinctures should not be given to children and nursing mothers.

Alcohol version:

100 grams of mint;
500 ml alcohol 75%.

Fill the mint with alcohol and leave to steep in a dark, cool place for a week and a half.

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Take the finished infusion 10 drops, three times a day. Can be used as an ointment against migraines.

Fermentation of plants

Many gardeners have even learned to ferment mint.

Fermentation stages:

Carefully selected raw materials are divided into several bundles, placed in plastic bags, and sealed tightly.
Place in the freezer overnight, away from food, so that the mint does not absorb foreign odors.
Frozen raw materials must be passed through a meat grinder or chopped with a knife.
Place the resulting mass in a bowl, place a three-liter jar of water on top, and hold for 3 hours.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet or plastic board. Wooden surfaces are not recommended.
Leave the tray outside or in a ventilated area, but do not expose the raw materials to sunlight.
After 2 days or less, put the dry tea leaves into canvas bags or small jars.
Mint tea should be brewed for 4 minutes and then drunk.

Is it possible to eat mint fresh?

Eating mint raw is not only possible, but also necessary, given its beneficial properties. Mint leaves remove cholesterol from the body, have a positive effect on the circulatory system, the heart, have a calming effect on the central nervous system, and have an antiviral and antibacterial effect. Mint should not be used only in one case, if there are contraindications; in other cases, the herb will only have a positive effect on the body.

Mint can be a helper for those who want to lose weight. The calorie content of the herb is only 49 Kcal, but its key feature lies in its ability to suppress hunger. The effectiveness of the herb in losing weight has been proven by recent studies conducted by American scientists.

One option to use mint for weight loss is to add it to water. You can make a drink by combining it with ginger, cucumber or lime. Cooking methods in our article at the link.

Mint for nervous disorders

If you feel tired and overwhelmed, and cannot sleep, this healing plant will also help, since it has a calming effect, puts you to sleep and at the same time tones your brain activity.

Mint leaves should be simmered on fire for 15 minutes, then filtered. Drink the resulting mixture half a glass before meals.

Wild and garden species

People know more than 300 species of this crop, but only 25 varieties are most often used. Conventionally, the plant is divided into garden and wild. Garden mint is grown in home gardens or in industrial production. The most popular garden varieties: spica, curly, chocolate, apple, fragrant and pepper.

Garden mint has a milder taste than wild mint. The wild species of this plant grows throughout Russia. It is divided into field, cat, mountain, water and swamp.

Shish kebab with mint twist

Peppermint has been proven to have a calming effect. It is especially indicated for chronic fatigue and frequent stress. The mint aroma alone helps to calm your nerves and relax. Where else can you relax if not in nature? In addition, you can cook delicious meat on the grill there. To really make it a success, save the recipe for the original mint marinade.

Ingredients:

mint - half a bunch
lemon - 1 pc.
fresh rosemary - 1 sprig
garlic - 2 cloves
olive oil - 4 tbsp. l.
salt, black pepper - to taste

Pour boiling water over the lemon and wash the peel with a brush. Using a fine grater, grate the zest, being careful not to touch the white part. Then squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Remove all mint leaves from the stems and chop into smaller pieces. Mix them with garlic passed through a press, add lemon juice and zest, pour in olive oil. We also remove the leaves from the rosemary sprig and put it in the marinade. Season it with salt and pepper and mix. This marinade is suitable for lamb kebabs, beef steak, and chicken drumsticks. It can also be served as a sauce for grilled meats.

How to make a non-alcoholic mojito

Wash the mint, dry it, set aside a couple of leaves, chop the rest, add sugar and crush.
Pour boiling water over the limes and wipe with a paper towel. Cut one lime and squeeze out the juice, and cut the second into slices. Add lime juice to mint and divide the mixture into glasses.
Place lime mugs in each glass, pour in apple juice, add ice, tonic and garnish with mint leaves.

Mint preparations for the winter

Jam

An incredibly tasty jam with tea will help you warm up in the cold winter.

Ingredients:

mint – 400 g
lemon - 2 pcs.
sugar - 1 kg
water - 1 l
agar-agar -2 tsp.

Preparation:

Chop the mint along with the stems.
Scald the lemon, cut it, put it in a saucepan, add water, cook for 15 minutes.
Leave for 12 hours.
Squeeze out the mixture, strain the infusion, add sand.
Cook until it dissolves.
Dissolve agar-agar in a glass.
Add agar-agar to the jam and cook until completely dissolved.

mint jam in glass bank and on a table

Jam

You can make jam.

Ingredients:

fresh mint leaves - 250 g.
lemon - 2 pcs.
water - 500 ml.
sugar - 1 kg.

Preparation:

Place the crushed leaves in a saucepan, add finely chopped, unpeeled lemons.
Pour water, cook for 10-12 minutes. Then leave to infuse for a day.
After a day, strain through cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid. Add sugar, cook until thick.

Peppermint extract

Prepare an extract from your raw materials to be sure that the product is natural. Place clean leaves in a small jar, remember them, compact them with a spoon, pour in vodka so that it covers the leaves. Keep covered for 3 weeks. Then filter the composition. Cover the liquid with gauze and leave for 3 days to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Application of the extract:

Weak immunity;
ARVI;
Insomnia, weakness and headaches;
Heart rhythm disturbances;
Hypertension and diabetes;
Flatulence, constipation, colic, pancreatitis, cholecystitis;
Varicose veins;
Ulcers, wounds, burns.

How to make peppermint oil

In ancient times, oil made from mint was considered the best remedy.

How to do:

In the morning, cut the mint and tear off the leaves.
Spread in a thin layer and let dry for 10 minutes.
Place in a bag, tie, roll with a rolling pin to release the juice.
Place in a glass jar, add base oil (olive, coconut, jojoba, etc.), shake, and leave for 24 hours.
Squeeze out the leaves and strain the liquid.
Repeat this procedure twice with new leaves, but with the same liquid.
Pour the finished oil into small bottles and place in the refrigerator. Shelf life is one year.

The scope of application of the oil is very wide:

For headaches, apply to temples.
To get rid of fatigue, you can drop it on an aroma lamp.
If you have a runny nose, inhale the aroma and drop 2 drops into each nostril.
If you cough, rub your chest at night.
When the temperature is high, rub it into your feet with force, then put on socks.
To reduce arrhythmia, rub yourself with mint oil.

Used in cosmetology. Oil is added to face masks. To make hair voluminous and shiny, add a couple of drops to shampoo or hair conditioner.

Fermentation at home: what is needed and instructions

Fermentation of mint allows you to preserve the strong aroma of the plant and add richness when brewing.

The process is quite simple. The result will be curled leaves of the plant:

Before fermentation, the collected leaves are placed in bags and sent for freezing.
Minimum freezing time is 3 hours, ideally overnight.
After defrosting, the leaves are rolled up and put under a press for several hours.
After time, remove the press and send the leaves to dry.

The video shows another option for preparing fermented tea:

Mint preparations

This plant makes very healthy and tasty preparations.

Syrup

To obtain vitamin syrup you will need 100 g of fresh mint leaves, 500 g of sand and a glass of water.

How to cook:

Sprinkle the crushed leaves with half a portion of granulated sugar and leave for 15-20 hours.
Mix the remaining sugar with water and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened.
Add sweet mint to a saucepan with boiling liquid (you can add a pinch of citric acid), turn off the heat.
Let it brew for 3-4 hours.
Grind with a blender, strain through 3-4 layers of gauze.
Boil the syrup again and pour into jars.

Baked potatoes in the oven

Discussion: 2 comments

svinsent:
June 14, 2021 at 8:43 pm
Mojito! Yes! Mint is also good for decorating dishes)
Answer
Ksenia Snegurskaya:
July 11, 2021 at 12:29 pm
How true is this)))
Answer

Prevention of liver pain

Based on mint, there is a decoction with honey and citrus fruits that helps remove toxins from the liver. You will need:

1 tablespoon mint;
1 lemon;
1 orange;
1 liter of water;
3 tablespoons of honey.

Squeeze the lemon and orange. Boil water, add mint and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Let the broth cool, then pour the prepared juice into it, mix well and strain. Drink a glass of the prepared drink once a day.

Peppermint tinctures

Among lovers of traditional medicine, the leaves, which are collected in the spring, are primarily valued. If you don’t have a garden, you can buy it at any pharmacy.

In part, its indoor relative grown in a pot can also serve as a substitute for peppermint.

Of course, recipes with homemade mint are not so effective, but it will work as an aromatic and soothing addition to tea.

Let's list some recipes and tell you what benefits they can bring to the body.

How to use mint

Everyone knows that mint leaves can be added to tea. How else can you use this fragrant plant? There are so many ways to use mint that every gardener will find the best recipe for himself.

First, prepare peppermint for the winter.

How to dry:

For drying, cut off a third of the branch so that new shoots grow on the sides.
It is better to harvest during flowering, when it contains more useful substances, that is, at the end of June and continue until mid-August.
If only the leaves are dried, they are collected before the buds open.
It is better to prepare in the evening or early in the morning, after the dew has dried.
The spicy plant should be collected in environmentally friendly places.
Immediately cover the collected branches from sunlight to prevent the essential oil from evaporating.
If the leaves are dusty, you can wash them a little and dry them with a paper towel.
Spread the leaves in a thin layer, cover from the sun, and leave for 4 hours.
Complete drying until the raw material becomes brittle.
You can use an oven or microwave, but the plant will lose some of its nutrients.
A great way to dry is to tie them in bunches and hang them on the veranda, turning them occasionally.

How to store?

You can grind it into powder or leave it as is. Whole bunches of mint are stored in cotton bags to allow air access. You can store up to 2 years, no more.

Emerald ice on a stick

The tonic effect of mint has been known for a long time. All thanks to menthol and essential oils. It is no coincidence that cosmetologists love mint so much and recommend adding its extract to homemade tonics, masks and creams. Such products carefully relieve irritation, itching and rashes, and at the same time soothe skin heated by the summer sun. To feel the tonic effect from the inside, prepare the original green sorbet.

Ingredients:

mint leaves - 1 cup
sugar - 1 glass
boiling water - 1 cup
lemon - 1 pc.
lemon juice - 0.5 cups

Mash the mint leaves a little with a pestle. Wash the lemon thoroughly, wipe dry and remove the zest using a fine grater. Transfer it to a glass container, add mint leaves, sprinkle with sugar, and pour boiling water over it. Cover the mixture with a lid, leave for half an hour, then filter through several layers of gauze. Now pour in lemon juice, mix well, pour into glasses. Place the sorbet in the freezer until completely frozen. Don't forget to insert the sticks when the mixture has set a little.

Cautions

Before you put into practice the recipes for preparing mint, which we described above, you should also find out who should not use it for medicinal purposes.

This medicine has its contraindications. The substances included in its composition are contraindicated:

Children under 3 years old.
Women who have problems conceiving.
For men suffering from potency problems.

Caution should be exercised when taking mint medicines to children under 12 years of age, people suffering from varicose veins and low blood pressure, as well as those who are going to drive (it has a soporific effect).

If you are part of the group of those for whom mint is contraindicated, it will become an indispensable remedy in your home pharmacy.

Option on the water

Prepare a water bath, boil water and pour it over the dried herb. Let stand for 30 minutes. The resulting decoction should be drunk shortly before meals, three times a day.

When to collect correctly: terms and time

Mint is collected during flowering, between July and August. It is better to collect in the early morning or evening. No more than 70% of the stem is cut off; the root cannot be touched.

After harvesting, mint should be properly prepared for storage. For harvesting, you can use not only individual leaves, but also the entire stem.

Read about collection rules and deadlines for various types of wild and garden plant varieties here.