Photo by Rebecca Uhle
Getting fresh
Issue #31
Growing mint for homemade mojitos is a breeze (continued from the spring 2007 issue)
By Emilie Zanger
Published: March 5th, 2007 | 11:31am
Spring is the perfect time to add a little greenery to your natural habitat. Even if that’s a studio with one window that looks out at a brick wall in Queens, you can still grow one of the most delicious and versatile herbs: mint.
Mint is a true survivor and thrives in wet places — from the standing water in a roadside ditch to an elegant martini glass on your kitchen table. The upside of the martini glass (aside from its good looks and lack of mosquito-attracting tendencies) is that it is shallow, which is mint’s preferred growing condition. Even if your thumb is nowhere near green, we’re confident that you can grow mint in your very own kitchen.
Now put your herbs to work. Make yourself a drink.
MINTY MOJITOS
· 1 1/2 oz. light rum
· 8 to 12 fresh mint leaves
· juice of one lime
· 1 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and cooled)
· chilled club soda
· mint sprig for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the mint, simple syrup, and lime juice in a 12-ounce highball glass. Use the back of a wooden spoon to muddle the mint together with the liquid. Fill the glass with crushed ice, and add the rum. Stir well, top off with club soda, and stir one last time to mix. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Tip: Adding fresh berries, melon, pineapple, or mango during the muddling step dresses up a classic mojito.
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WEB EXCLUSIVE: TIPS FOR THE
CHLOROPHYLL-CHALLENGED
· You can easily root a mint plant in water using the fresh store-bought herbs that come in clear plastic boxes. Just take a few 3- to 5-inch cuttings, preferably from the top of the stem, and poke them into the water, using some marbles to anchor them upright. Be sure to carefully snip off leaves that fall below the water line. Before long, roots will begin to grow! Once the root system develops, like the one in the photo, you can remove some marbles to just anchor the bottom roots.
· If you decide to look for mint in the wild, the obvious scent is not the only giveaway. Mint has a distinctive square stem. Look for it in the shallows of a stream, especially in spots that are partially shaded.
· Trimming mint back from time to time actually helps it to grow. Cut the stem just above a leaf bracket, or the place where the leaves branch off from the stem. The plant will grow two new stems from there, creating a lower, more trailing profile.
· The best water for growing mint is rainwater, so if you have access to some, use it! The next best thing would be distilled water.
· Partial shade or indirect sunlight is best for mint. Don’t leave it in a super sunny window, or it will dry up.
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