If you’ve ever planted mint, you know that it grows like mad and spreads like wildfire.
I always put it in pots because it’s so invasive. Plant mint right in your yard and by the end of the summer, you’ll have mint everywhere.
If you don’t grow your own, you can usually find fresh mint at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market.
This is one of my favorite ways to add fresh, summery mint flavor to cocktails and desserts.
Uses for mint simple syrup
Use this the way you’d use any sweet, flavored syrup. Try:
- Adding it to cocktails
- A shot in your coffee, tea, or latte
- Adding it to milkshakes
- Drizzling it on a warm cake as a glaze
- Using it to flavor icings or fillings
Use your imagination!
This method works with other herbs
You can use this basic method to make a bunch of other kinds of simple syrups with leafy green herbs. Try making rosemary simple syrup. It’s a-ma-zing in a cocktail with St. Germaine and vodka.
If you want to do a woodier herb (cinnamon, ginger, etc.), you want to use a slightly different method. I’ll post The Angry Chef’s Cinnamon Simple Syrup soon.
Mint Simple Syrup
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
Yields about 1 1/2 cups
Grab your mint. If you picked it from the garden, give it a quick rinse and dry it off.
Chop it up, stems and all.
Aim for about a cup. A little over, a little under…no big tragedy.
Stick the mint in a bowl or other heatproof container and set it aside while you make the sugar syrup.
Put the sugar and water in a small pot.
Bring it to a boil over high heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. When it’s boiling and the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the pot from the heat.
Pour the sugar syrup over the chopped mint.
Give it a stir to make sure all the mint is submerged.
Cover it with plastic wrap or a plate. Let it steep like this on the counter until it cools to room temperature. You want to cover it because a lot of mint’s flavor is in its volatile essential oils, which can escape with steam. (Same thing if you make peppermint tea…cover it while it steeps to keep more of that minty goodness in your cup.)
The mint will go from vivid green to a duller, cooked veggie colored green.
When the syrup has cooled completely, strain it, pressing the mint with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much syrup as you can. Discard the mint, it’s done its job 😉
And…voila! Mint simple syrup! Store it covered, in the fridge, for about 3 weeks…if it lasts that long.
How will you use your mint simple syrup?
Leave a comment, let us know! Have you made it? Send me a picture and maybe I’ll add it to this post w/credit to you!
The Hungry Mouse
Yields About 1.5 cups
This is one of my favorite ways to add fresh, summery mint flavor to cocktails and desserts.
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Grab your mint. If you picked it from the garden, give it a quick rinse and dry it off.
- Chop it up, stems and all. Stick the mint in a bowl or other heatproof container and set it aside while you make the sugar syrup.
- Put the sugar and water in a small pot.
- Bring it to a boil over high heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. When it’s boiling and the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour the sugar syrup over the chopped mint.
- Give it a stir to make sure all the mint is submerged.
- Cover it with plastic wrap or a plate. Let it steep like this on the counter until it cools to room temperature.
- When the syrup has cooled completely, strain it, pressing the mint with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much syrup as you can. Discard the mint, it’s done its job.
- Store it covered, in the fridge, for about 3 weeks.
- How can you use your syrup? Try: Adding it to cocktails, a shot in your coffee, tea, or latte, adding it to milkshakes, drizzling it on a warm cake as a glaze, using it to flavor icings or fillings
