Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
My favorite herb has always been spear-mint.
Mom’s recipes – mostly from her mother – called for obtainable ingredients such as vegetables grown in the garden, fruit picked from the orchard or off the vine and meat raised at home.
In our kitchen, seasonings mostly consisted of salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and occasionally, garlic. And we always had mint.
It grew “wild” in the yard.
Snipped mint leaves made Mom’s peas and new potatoes extra-special. They seasoned lamb and garnished watermelon, fruit salads and ice cream.
Mint sprigs perched prettily on top of iced tea glasses and garnished ice cream – both vanilla and chocolate.
My favorite cake was Mom’s chocolate cake with spearmint icing.
If we didn’t have spear-mint extract, she muddled mint leaves and blended them with the butter going into the buttercream icing for the cake.
And mint wasn’t just handy to have in the kitchen.
A bouquet of spearmint makes a fragrant summertime “flower” arrangement. Change the water every two days.
As a bonus, the stems of the arrangement will begin to grow little roots, so when no longer needed for décor, the arrangement can become a new mint plant.
In the winter, dried mint was always on hand for making a refreshing cup of hot tea. And if you had a tummy ache, stuffy nose or a sore throat, a cup of mint tea was just what the doctor ordered.
While it’s not native to America, common spearmint is so thoroughly naturalized in our mountains that it seems to grow wild here.
It originated in Europe, the Middle East, the Himalayas and China.
The Greeks and Romans valued the scent of mint. They rubbed it on wooden surfaces in their homes and, just as we do today, placed bouquets of mint on their dining tables.
It was one of the strewing herbs which were laid on floors to combat bad odors and deter pests.
Mint came to Britain with the Romans, who used it for cooking, making medicine and treating wounds.
European settlers carried spearmint with them to the American colonies, where it was grown for culinary and medicinal uses.
In various forms, spearmint was used to treat headaches, coughs, colds, upset stomachs and toothaches.
It even played a part in early American politics.
Before the American Revolution, when the colonists were boycotting English tea, spearmint was one of the herbs popular in the making of “liberty” teas.
This hardy, disease resistant perennial herb was named for its spear-like, pointy leaves.
It grows in zones 3-11, doesn’t require any special care and is easy to propagate.
Spearmint will grow from seeds or stem cuttings. It quickly sets roots on stems when placed in water.
It can be propagated by division or by laying cuttings directly into soil.
Mint grows in many types of soil – from loam to clay – and blooms in the summer and the fall.
Take care about growing it too close to other mints because spearmint loves to hybridize.
That’s how peppermint came about – it’s a hybrid of spearmint and water mint.
Mint tolerates frost, providing fresh leaves from spring through late fall.
It partners well in gardens with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, peas and peppers.
Spearmint will develop its best flavor when grown in full sun.
If you’re growing it in a particularly dry place, add an inch of mulch, leaves or compost to help retain moisture.
Mint likes to be kept moist, but not waterlogged.
Watering at the base of the plant and not directly on the foliage will deter disease.
The biggest challenge to growing spearmint is containing its enthusiasm. It loves to spread.
Unless you want a field of mint, keep it under control by planting it in a pot – at least 12” deep and 18” wide with drainage holes in the bottom.
Use moisture-retaining soil and top with a layer of mulch (something like straw or leaves) to help retain moisture.
And here’s a twist.
Slow mint down by keeping it in the pot and putting it in the ground – bury the entire container in the soil to help keep it under control.
If you trust your mint to grow freely in the ground, dig in a boundary barrier, at least a foot deep around the plant.
To slow growth and encourage a bushier plant, prune spearmint down near the ground, leaving stems of an inch in height.
Be careful not to plant peppermint plants or seeds near your spearmint. And watch out for Scotch spearmint and mojito mint, too.
You can often find hybrids of spearmint and other Mentha species.
In fact, you could very well produce a hybrid of your own by growing spearmint near another type of mint.
But there are some fancy spearmints that you may decide to try.
There’s what’s known as curly or wrinkle leaf spearmint.
It’s Latin name is M. spicata var. crispa or crispate. Its curly leaves grow on a sturdy stalk.
Curly spearmint makes a perfect garnish because it’s stalk can be used as a swizzle stick for cocktails (think mojitos or vodka lemonade).
Kentucky Colonel spear-mint has unusual looking leaves – they’re large and round with a pebbly surface.
The Colonel isn’t quite as sweet as our spearmint, but it can be easier to keep due to its excellent resistance to the two banes of the mint grower: mint rust and powdery mildew.
Mojito Mint (M. x villosa) is an apple mint hybrid. Another large-leaved spearmint, mojito mint has a similar, but significantly milder flavor than spearmint, with a hint of citrus.
Scotch spearmint (M. × gracilis) is also called American red or ginger mint. It has a very sweet fragrance.
“Wrigley’s” spearmint (M. spicata ‘Wrigley’s’) is also a little hard to find. Its flavor is like a bolder version of our common spearmint, and it resembles apple mint, with round, hairy leaves.
Hard to believe, but some people these days may only recognize it as the smell of their toothpaste or chewing gum.
We must all take it upon ourselves to remedy that sad fact by introducing mint into as many of our friends’ lives as we can.
It couldn’t be a more agreeable or valuable herb.
Throughout history it’s been used as a natural vermin repellent. Rodents don’t like the fragrance or the taste and apparently, neither do ticks because mint oil and tinctures are not only effective in repelling both rodents and ticks.
Sprayed in standing water, it can even kill mosquito larvae.
Growing mint plants in areas where rodents are a concern has been known to discourage their activity.
Spearmint is not terribly bothered by disease or pests, but it’s not completely immune to them. Watch for aphids, thrips, and spider mites. Potted mint should be watered at the base to discourage fungal diseases.
Always be careful about treating any disease or pests if you’ll be using your mint as food.
If your goal is to produce spearmint oil, harvest your herbs in the heat of summer when their leaves contain more oil.
To get the most potency, harvest before the plant blooms and always harvest early in the morning, after the dew has dried.
If you want to save the seeds, allow a few stems to blossom.
Unless you are harvesting specifically to make mint oil, just cut leaves and stems as you need them.
Leaves will keep in a vase of water for two weeks or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for three or four days.
To dry mint, hang small bouquets where they can get good ventilation in a cool, dark place. Or you can lay sprigs and leaves on a screen to dry.
They can be dehydrated in an oven on the lowest setting or in a food dehydrator. Remove them when they begin to crisp.
You can freeze spearmint as well.
Wash and roughly chop the leaves, place them in an ice cube tray, fill each cell about halfway with leaves.
Top off each cell with water and place in the freezer. Keep them covered and airtight. You don’t want the fragrance to take on any freezer odors.
These minty ice cubes are convenient for using in drinks or recipes.
Mint tea is easy to make and makes a delightful addition to any menu.
You can make herbal mint tea by steeping dried mint leaves.
To make caffeinated mint tea, toss in a few sprigs of mint when you’re brewing plain black tea.
The tea will take on the flavor and scent of the mint. Strain away the mint and serve either hot or cold.
Garnish cold beverages with a sprig of mint. A sprig of spearmint adds its enticing aroma to any beverage and is especially nice when placed atop a glass of iced tea or lemonade.
Spearmint adds zest to a variety of dishes – from sweet to savory.
It’s unique flavor and aroma makes it a perfect sauce for lamb, and it is delightful in jams, candies, drinks and desserts.
And as I said before, it’s absolutely delicious paired with chocolate.
