Saturday, July 30, 2011

Summer Mint Syrup

With National Ice Cream Month coming to a close, it's time to move on to lighter fare.  But it's still brutally hot outside, so I'm still not wanting to, you know, cook.

As a result, I decided to go with something simple, refreshing, and versatile:  mint syrup.

Mint is the perfect antidote to summer's woes.  The candy commercials get it right:  take a bite of peppermint or spearmint, and your core temperature seems to plummet.

Personally, I plan to spend this sweltering weekend on my front porch, keeping cool with a variety of minty treats.  And they all start with this basic mint syrup, a summer staple you can make for a specific recipe or simply keep in the fridge for whenever you want an extra dose of refreshment.

Hibiscus-Mint Iced Tea
Mint Syrup

2/3 - 1 oz. fresh mint leaves
1 c. sugar

Chop the mint.  Combine the mint, sugar, and 1 c. water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Simmer syrup (without stirring) 2 minutes.  Allow the syrup to cool for 15 minutes, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the mint.  Cover and chill up to two weeks.

What to do with it:
  1. Add a couple of tablespoons of the chilled syrup to lemonade, limeade, iced tea, or a combination of the above.
  2. Drizzle the syrup over well-chilled cubed or sliced watermelon (1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of syrup is enough for a regular-sized seedless watermelon).  If you like, squeeze the juice of a fresh lime (or two) over the melon, too.
  3. Make minted hibiscus iced tea:  Bring 6 cups of water to a boil.  Remove from heat, stir in 1 oz. dried hibiscus flowers, cover, and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.  Strain the tea.  Stir in another 4 cups cold water and 1 cup of the minted syrup.  Serve chilled over ice with wedges of fresh lime.
  4. Make mojito slushies:  combine 1 recipe of the syrup with 1/2 c. fresh lime juice, 1/2 c. light rum, and 8 cups crushed ice in a blender and, well, blend!

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    Wendy is the author of the Mysteries a la Mode. Visit her on the web or on Facebook.

    7 comments:

    1. The weather has been so intemperate this summer, even the mint wilted. If, however, there's any to be saved, what a great use. Thanks.

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    2. I have a huge patch of mint just begging to be used. This is perfect! Thanks for sharing. :)

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    3. Supposed to be 99 degrees today. I think it's *already* 99 and it's 9:00 a.m.! Thanks so much, Wendy, for this refreshing recipe!

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    4. Lovely ideas, Wendy. Just thinking about your mint syrup drizzled over watermelon is lowering the temperature in the room!

      Have a great Saturday,
      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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    5. And I have this wonderful chocolate mint plant... what a great idea

      Dave (formerly Year on the Grill)

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    6. Enjoy, everyone ... it really is delicious. :)

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    7. Hibiscus tea is one of my favorites, hot and cold. I'm eager to try it with mint! Yum!

      ~ Krista

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