With her striking purple stems & killer flavor, Chocolate Mint is one to grow. Join me as we discuss this beautiful mint cultivar & a bunch of options for using your harvest!
This delectable cross was created by combining ‘orange mint’ cultivars with ‘water mint’ & spearmint. This one really is beautiful as well, with narrow leaves that have a purple tone to their undersides & dark stems. The flowers are typical mint, opening from the base up, & are also purple. They are highly desirable to pollinators & will keep the bees in your yard very happy indeed.
Chocolate Mint Simple Syrup 1 cup chocolate mint leaves & flowers 1 cup water 1 cup sweetener [sugar, monkfruit, xylitol] Simply boil your water & sweetener in a good sized saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Add your chocolate mint leaves & flowers, pressing botanicals under the surface with a wooden spoon. Turn down the heat & simmer for about 3 minutes. Allow the lot to cool completely to room temperature, steeping the mint in the syrup. Stain off the plant matter & pour into a storage bottle. Keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Chocolate Mint Chip Sorbet 2 cups sugar 4 cups water 2 cups chocolate mint leaves & stems, rough chopped 3 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice 4 TSB Vodka [optional, but best] 1 TBS Mint Extract [optional] ½ cup mini chocolate chips [optional] Day Before Churning: Boil your water & sweetener in a good sized saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Add your chocolate mint, pressing botanicals under the surface with a wooden spoon. Turn down the heat & simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely to room temperature, steeping the mint in the syrup. Stain off the plant matter & pour into a storage bottle. Add the lemon juice, extract & vodka [if using.] Store in the fridge overnight. Run your chilled base through your ice cream machine, following your machine’s directions. After churning, fold ½ cup mini chocolate chips into your sorbet if desired, then place in the freezer to set. It will be servable after a few hours, & remain delicious for a few weeks in the freezer. It looks particularly beautiful served with a sprig of chocolate mint leaves & flowers. That is it for this post! Short & sweet this time, non? Let me know what you use your chocolate mint for [& if you are local, I am happy to give you a cutting from our garden to grow your own! Just swing by the store!] Until next time, take care & don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
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