Applemint Syrup

Balance, sustainability and my desperate need to cover my failings have recently lead me to reconsider my attitude to some areas of the grounds of Castle Boomboom. There’s something soul eating about spending all of your time trying to banish the unwanted, to the point of having no time/energy/garden centre vouchers left to focus on the plants you actually like. On that note I’m taking a wellied step towards some esoteric peace by working with what I have, rather than fighting the natives any longer.
I am on the verge of being over run with Applemint- a marauding and hardy cousin to your more traditional and truly minty pepper and spearmints. It is hardy to the point of taking over and tough to pull up. It is out and out impossible to get all of it by hand so rather than invest in a flamethrower I’m putting it to use. Harvesting just feels so much more productive than weeding.
As the name indeed suggests, Applemint has a notable tang of green apples in both scent and taste. Due to the much lower menthol levels in the leaves applemint has almost none of the tell tale toothpastey coolness of traditional mint plants but there is a definite finish of mild peppermint. The result is a sweet, smooth and herbaceous flavour that lends well to a number of culinary uses.
Another marker for Applemint vs the minty mints is that it will grow considerably taller (I have stems over 4ft tall in my bloody flowerbeds as we speak). It is also more robust than spearmint and peppermint or indeed any of your funny chocolate/pineapple/pornstar-martini garden centre hybrid monster varieties. The stems and leaves are rough and mildly hairy and as such not so well suited for adding raw into, well, anything really. A fresh sprig will garnish a cold drink beautifully or steep to make a half decent brew for sure, but I’d need the entire neighbourhood round for pimms and mint tea for a solid week to make a dent in the number of plants I have at the moment.
It’s the flavour of this plant rather than the texture that has the real appeal and so I’ve started to turn this garden invader into syrup. And it’s gone rather well.
It’s easy to make and easy to store and has numerous uses, particularly as we head into the summer for endless cold drinks and barbeques. So I should admit here I don’t have many healthy uses for this stuff- it is basically 50% sugar so that ship already sailed. It is probably not the stuff for you if you’re seeking the benefits of the nutritional powerhouse that is a fresh mint plant (anti oxidants, vitamin c, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron). But if you love a zingy summer drink or giving some fresh depth to your desserts give this a try.

Applemint Syrup Recipe

You will need: Fresh applemint leaves, water, caster sugar, saucepan, a sterilised bottle or mason jar and a funnel or strainer.
First off, harvest your mint. And this really is one for growers as I have never ever seen applemint for sale in a supermarket. As with all mints you should aim for the leaves towards the top of the stem and only harvest from areas you know have not been treated with pesticides or other obvious toxins (think roadside pollution, excessive bird poo, cats etc). Applemint blooms with fine pink or lilac flowers in the spring which you can add to this mix if desired.
So pick your leaves immediately before you plan to use them and discard the stems (don’t put them in your own compost heap- it will become a mint mound by next summer). Rinse them thoroughly in tepid water paying attention to the underside of the leaves for any bugs.
Drain and pat dry with a clean teatowel then measure the volume of leaves you have- ideally with a measuring cup. Add the leaves to a sturdy sauce pan with an equal volume of fresh water and caster sugar.
So if you have 1 teacup of leaves add the same teacup of water and again of sugar. Simples.
Bring this mix to the boil, stirring gently to ensure the sugar dissolves fully. You can stop stirring now and allow the mix to boil for one minute. Don’t be tempted to go over this as you run the risk of getting a jelly rather than a syrup!
At this point you will have a glossy, clear liquid full of the mint leaves which should be starting to darken and smell fabulous.
Take the pan off the heat, cover and leave it to steep for 45-60 minutes.
Take this time to tell all the other mint plants in the flower bed that you have boiled their siblings and will do the same to them if they continue to spread so thoughtlessly through the pretty bits of your garden. Or if you don’t talk to plants, thoroughly clean and sterilise your bottle/jar and the strainer you intend to use later on.
After the resting time, the mint leaves should be much darker and noticeably smaller as the oils from the leaves have steeped into the syrup which will now be anything from light straw to pale green in colour.
Strain into your vessel, seal and refrigerate. It will last 3-4 weeks happily in the fridge if you can resist the multitude of uses below.

• Add a tablespoon of syrup to a glass of soda water for a simple, grown up soft drink that’s not too sweet and free of any wonky additives or artificial sweeteners.
• Splash over fruity sorbets or chocolate ice cream for dessert decadence.
• Add to fruit salads or smoothies, particularly with mango, strawberries or pineapple.
• Add some lemon zest and fancy up the drizzle for your lemon drizzle cake.
• Swap out simple syrup for your applemint syrup to give an extra element to mojitos, mint juleps or your cocktail of choice. Add a slug to your Pimms or try some in a Moscow Mule or Dark & Stormy. Definitely experiment by adding this to your more floral gin based martinis.
• For the boozeless, this syrup gives a great boost to many mocktails and juice blends and goes wonderfully in iced tea. I like a blend of 2 parts green tea and one part ginger and lemon with a slug of syrup and lots of ice. Fabulously refreshing, especially after a hot day trying to pull up all the mint from your garden…..

As always if you make some of our own syrup or have any other uses for my applemint forest let me know in the comments!