Mint syrup

Peppermint or just mint is a popular medicinal plant beloved by many, which is gladly used not only by supporters of alternative medicine, but also just lovers of the pleasant aroma and indescribable taste of this fragrant grass. Both fresh mint leaves and dried ones can be used to make various medicinal products as well as for culinary purposes.

What methods and options for using this aromatic plant do not exist today. But mint fans also have one of the most popular products based on this plant - mint syrup. The areas of use of this concentrate are actually practically limitless - they can be said to be identical to the useful properties of the starting material for its manufacture.

Mint syrup can not only be used as an excellent flavor additive in many mixed drinks, but also complement the taste of many dishes. As a rule, culinary experts use mint syrup when making desserts, baked goods, cakes, ice cream, sorbets, puddings, jelly, souffle, casseroles and many other delicious sweet treats.

Mint syrup not only has a pleasant taste, but also unconditional health benefits: it helps with stomach and cold diseases, and also improves sleep. Of course, you can dry mint for the winter, but then it becomes so lazy to brew it, while mint syrup can be kept at hand. You take it out of the refrigerator, eat a spoon, like honey - fragrant mint syrup is sweet and viscous, or you add it to tea - it is great refreshing.

When cooked at home, mint syrup produces an amber rather than green color - this is due to the fact that the heat treatment breaks down chlorophyll, which is responsible for the green color. That is why many manufacturers add food dyes to the composition of industrial mint syrup, which enrich the finished product with a saturated green color, which is inherent in fresh mint.

Meanwhile, homemade mint syrup also features a marvellous aroma and unparalleled flavour. To make it, the plant raw materials - in this case, sprigs of fresh mint along with stalks - are finely chopped, covered with sugar sand and carefully compacted so that the mint starts to juice.

After some time, a certain amount of water is added to the container with mint mass and everything is cooked over a minimum heat for no more than 15 minutes. For a larger aroma of mint syrup, you can leave the product for a while longer, after which it is cast in a colander, bring the liquid to a boil and pour hot into jars in which it will be stored.