Sunday, December 13, 2009

Mint!

Ignoring the advice of every gardening book ever written, I let the mint in my garden get out of control. And so, even in December—even after frost and snow, we are still enjoying this delicious (and plentiful) leaf straight from the garden.

A bunch of mint hanging to dry in our kitchen is a familiar sight. We have jars and jars of the dried herb stashed for the winter.

It's a good thing that the girls' favorite tea is "minty" tea.

I recalled a simple recipe for mint candy, and figured this was the perfect use for the last leaves left out back. Start with a good bunch of mint leaves, washed and dried.

Next, dip them in egg white then in granulated sugar. Let the leaves dry for about a day on parchment.

Candied mint leaves are thin, sweet, and surprisingly crispy. This delicate treat couldn't be easier to make—the hardest part is waiting for them to dry.

We found this recipe in a kids book of nature crafts but I can't, for the life of me, remember what book. If anybody out there knows, let me know and I'll give credit where it is due!

2 comments:

  1. I don't have an abundance of mint like you do, but I do love mint and this sounds delicious and different! Definitely something to try!

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  2. In Calfornia, when I lived with my parents, I let mint get out of control. Here, on the other hand, I have let lemon balm get out of control! It smells nice, but I find it useless and annoying. The mint, however, won't take over like the lemon balm has. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe next year will be its year.

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