Homegrown mint is the freshest, sweetest and most satisfying mint you will ever taste and needs very little looking after. We have four mint plants so that we have plenty to keep us going. When it is in season and we give it a ‘haircut’ every so often so we can dry some out too for when it isn’t! I love my mint and use in so many different ways. My top 5 uses for homegrown mint include the following:  

Why grow your own mint?

1. Mint tea. There is nothing lovelier than a fresh cup of mint tea. It is also great to be able to use your home grown and dried mint for tea throughout the winter. Teabags contain hidden plastic and it is so much better to avoid them where possible. As an added plus you will save yourself some money!

2. Bath salts. Mint is a refreshing addition to your bath! Mixed with some bath salts can make a great zero waste, cleansing, chemical free alternative to bath bubbles. They can be made in a similar way to my lavender bath salts. I use either large mint leaves which can easily be fished out the bath. Or dried and ground mint which will flush down the drain easily and which are a lot less expensive than the shop bought versions!

3. Mint icecream. Dry and grind up some mint, add it to some mashed very ripe bananas to taste and freeze. Mix and refreeze a couple of times as it is freezing as otherwise it will go rock hard! It makes a delicious sugar free, dairy free, vegan, zero waste ice-cream. It’s also a great way to rescue black bananas! You can also do the same with cream and it tastes really good. It is difficult to get unpackaged or reusable packaged cream.

4. Mint sauce. Mix some dried mint with some white wine vinegar and you have mint sauce! Some people like to add a little sugar too, but I prefer to stay sugar free.

5. Mint chocolate truffles. I’m sure there are naughtier recipes out there than mine, but I like a sugar free paleo version.

You might think that sachets of dried mint or mint teabags aren’t that expensive, but over time the costs add up. By avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging you can save energy on watering and transporting the mint. By watering the plants with water stored in a rain butt there is no fuel needed. It is also a great feeling to be able to eat mint that you grew all year round!