Things You Didn’t Know About Mint… But Should Have by Cookie Curci Just hearing the words "fresh mint" on a warm summer day and my mind conjures up the southern symbol of hospitality, a lengthy sprig of green mint submerged in frosty tumblers or icy silver cups of mint juleps. Later, when the cold weather rolls around and the holiday season appears, with its warn and traditional dinners, mint changes its look and adapts itself to the coming season. Mint will then be used dried or frozen to flavor and garnish pork roasts, vegetables, jelly sauces, jellos and creamy desserts. Mint has its last harvest in the fall, so this is the time to pick the leaves for drying or freezing for the winter. Whichever way one eats it, drinks it, or prepares it, mint is an herb with many beneficial uses for good health. In fact, the reason most of our ancestors grew this pungent herb was for its many health benefits. Even today, naturalist still employ peppermint to treat gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and the common cold. The herb, mint, belongs to a large family with over 30 species, the most common being peppermint and spearmint. Native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, mints interbreed often, making it difficult for even an expert to distinguish all the varieties. All mints contain the volatile oil menthol, which gives mint that characteristic cooling, cleansing feeling.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 17:14:10 +0000
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