Saturday, May 10, 2008

Mint Mint Mint!!


So today I went in the garden, and to my surprise, I was faced with a fresh mint invasion! It is everywhere, in fact it's already making way for the neighbor's backyard.

I brought a little bit home, and let me tell you, the kitchen smells even better! I'm just faced with a little dilemma though. What do I make with this mint besides lemonade and mojitos?

I've been searching on the web for some great recipes, but so far 99% of the ones I found use mint only as garnish. That sucks. I'm might make some mint jelly for the first time though. Don't know if I like it yet, since i've never actually had mint jelly.
Here's a amazing lemonade recipe I found on the web years ago, and have been making since. It's great and at least I get to use some of my mint:


Lemonade with Fresh Mint

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup fresh mint leaves
* juice of 2 oranges
* juice of 6 lemons
* 4 teaspoons grated orange peel
* fresh orange or lemon slices and sprigs of mint for garnish

PREPARATION:
Lemonade directions
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Place mint leaves in a small bowl; add sugar syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, and grated orange peel.

Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a 1-quart container; cover and keep refrigerated.

To serve, mix 1 part lemon mint mixture with 2 parts water. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon or orange slices and sprigs of mint if desired.
Makes about 1 quart syrup, or 3 quarts of lemonade.



Get ready to make lots of this lemonade during the summer, because it's delicious!!

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