Whether it is cold or hot outside, having a supply of this Refreshing Mint Syrup will always be welcomed! The benfits and healing properties or mint are legandary.
This recipe yields approximately 3 cups of a tasty syrup which can be used in summer for flavouring lemonades, teas, mint jullips, etc, and is equally handy for use in the winter to add a refreshing flavour of summer to hot chocolate (recipe for a wonderful mix in this blog), to sweeten soothing herbal teas, and even to include in making cold weather desserts even more tempting! In addition to being very tasty, this Refreshing Mint Syrup has several healing properties as well. In making this benefitial syrup, you can either use mint from your garden, or store-bought organic during the winter months.
Ingredients:
2 c water
2 c sugar
1 bunch fresh mint, with stems
- Combine the water and sugar together in a saucepan, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Add in the mint, and place the pot on medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Reduce the heat, then simmer for five minutes.
- Remove your Refreshing Mint Syrup from the heat, allowing it to stand undisturbed for 2 hours.
- When cold, strain the syrup and refrigerate.
- Either use your Refreshing Mint Syrup to sweeten a pitcher of iced tea in the summer, or pour it into a small pitcher and let guests sweeten their own tea. This is a wonderful syrup to use in the winter months as well, as suggested above.
(For more recipes from a Homemade Orange Julius; Homemade Boursin cheese; Swirled Peppermint Brittle; herbal recipes, preparations; homemade holiday and hostess gift ideas; mocktails; spice combinations –such as Mignonette, Cajun, Asian Five Spice, German Mustard, etc– and so much more, check out the ‘category’ sections of betweenclosefriends.com)
Mint is used effectively as an alternative herbal treatment. It is helpful for in treating nausea and vomiting, morning sickness, stimulating the lymph nodes, and in general, can be used to treat upper respiratory tract infections and sinusitis.
Peppermint is a decongestant. It is a cooling fragrant and bitter herb that proves to be an anti-spasmodic, diaphoretic, digestive aid, antiseptic and slightly anesthetic because it contains a high amount of an essential oil which in turn consists of menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate and menthofuran.
Mint drinks, by reputation are said to be ‘refreshing‘. This is because the ‘mint’ scent helps to clear the mind, helping you to focus better, and relieves mental strain–all naturally without prescription drugs.