Mint
One of my favourite herbs is peppermint. It’s very easy to grow and I often have a whole bunch of it growing in the garden during the summer. However, I also love enjoying a steaming cup of ginger mint tea when the weather starts to turn a little bit colder and the leaves start to change colours.
Here is another great little excerpt from 100 Best Health Foods on the many benefits of mint:
Popular as a garden herb, mint is a remedy to calm and relax the stomach, and can relieve travel sickness and the congestion of colds.
For thousands of years, mint has been used for its flavor as well as its medicinal purposes. The three main types of mint commonly used are peppermint, spearmint and apple mint. The menthol oils that they contain, particularly peppermint, are a natural remedy for indigestion, which is why mint tea is traditionally consumed after a rich meal. Menthol can also clear head and chest congestion during colds and flu, and for people who suffer from allergic rhinitis. The oils are antibacterial and may help prevent H. pylori, which causes stomach ulcers, and food poisoning bugs salmonella and E. coli, from multiplying. Mint contains plant chemicals, which have been shown to block the growth of certain cancers in animals.
- Relieves indigestion and calms the stomach
- Relieves nasal and chest congestion
- Contains antibacterial properties
- May have anticancer action
Did You Know?
If you put a few stalks of freshly picked mint in a jar of water, within a few days they will grow roots, which can be planted indoors for a year-round supply!
Practical Tips
- Mint is best enjoyed fresh as the dried leaves lose much of their potency
- A simple way to enjoy fresh mint is to chop it finely and mix with plain yogurt to serve with lamb or eggplant
- Make an easy mint sauce by combining fresh chopped mint with balsamic vinegar
- You can also steep a handful of fresh leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes to make a mint tea − strain before drinking
My Easy to Make Summery Iced Tea
One of my favourite ways of enjoying peppermint in the summer is to make an “iced” tea.
- Cut and wash some fresh peppermint leaves
- Peel and cut a few slices of ginger
- Crush the peppermint leaves and ginger together at the bottom of a pitcher
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the pitcher
- Add in a bit of honey (to taste)
- Top up the pitcher with water and either cool it in the fridge to enjoy later OR add a bunch of ice cubes, stir well and enjoy it now!
Let me know how you enjoy the above recipe!
My Gardening Tip
Also, another random tip when it comes to growing peppermint in your garden, make sure to put the plants into large containers. Otherwise, they grow like weeds and you will have SO much mint that you won’t know what to do with it!! Trust me because I learned the hard way and ended up having to tame the section of my garden that housed my peppermint plants.
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