Mint Has Many Flavors And Uses

Mint Has Many Flavors And Uses Mint is an amazing plant, with more than 600 known varieties across more than two dozen species in the genus Mentha. It’s native to many parts of the world. Mentha canadensis, or American wild mint, is native to all of North America, as well as to the Philippines, Russia, eastern and southeastern Asia, Japan and Australia. Mints are in the same family (Lamiaceae) as catnip, oregano, lemon balm, thyme, sage, rosemary and basil.  Some species cross-pollinate to produce naturally occurring hybrids. Peppermint is a cross of spearmint (native to Europe) and water mint (native to the Middle East). Within peppermint alone, there are dozens of cultivars, including lime, chocolate and orange mints, as well as many commercial varieties bred for essential oil production. Mint oil is big business for farmers in several U.S. states. Idaho grows about 16,000 acres of peppermint and 1,000 acres of spearmint, making it the largest producer. It produces about 1.8 million lbs of mint oil annually. About 100 lbs of Idaho mint oil is harvested per acre through distillation. The majority of the oil is used in dental products and gum, with about 10% for other uses. Home gardeners can immerse mint in culinary oils to make an infusion for use in cooking, facials and skin treatments. Mint, fresh or dried, is also a popular ingredient in herbal tea and in a wide variety of recipes. Mint is recommended as an herbal source of essential oils, vitamin C, beta-carotene and chlorophyll. Historical uses of mint date back to 1000 B.C.E., with mint found in Egyptian pyramids. The Romans used it to perfume baths, aid digestion, cool tempers, and treat bad breath. It’s reputed to help with everything from curing the common cold to deterring mice and rats. New research suggests that it improves concentration, and several Japanese companies are piping mint essential oils into air-conditioning systems to boost employee productivity. Anyone with experience growing mint knows how invasive it can be. Once established, mint sends rhizomes through the soil, runners aboveground, and trailing stems that root wherever they touch the soil. One suggested control is to plant the mint in a deep pot with drainage holes, leaving at least 2 in. of the pot above ground. If planting multiple varieties, it’s a good idea to leave space between them to discourage cross-pollination. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, “Cooking Fresh with Mint” by Dani Lind, Edible Madison, March 16, 2016 (https://ediblemadison.com/stories/cooking-fresh-mint) or Purdue University Extension (https://ag.purdue.edu/department/hla/extension/mint.html).

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