Lime Mint
(Mentha x piperita f. citrata)
Lime Mint is a journey of the senses and offers more than you know. I give props to this adventurous herb for which I discovered by chance a couple years ago when I decided to plant an herb garden late in the season and it was the only herb on clearance at my local nursery. Evidently not many people were in the market to plant a member of the mint family that year and to all the gardening enthusiast out there, you understand this hardy perennial spreads easily and soon, your “cup runneth over”. Being of Southeast Asian descent, however, I do not mind it so much because the culinary potential can be an adventure as I have discovered not only in my spin on my mother’s traditional spicy-sweet Thai recipes but also, this could very well be the perfect mojito herb due to two key elements, the cool essence of mint and hints of cool lime. (Check out my Thai Chicken Salad Recipe)
The calm, cooling energy of mint in general makes this a great summertime herb in the kitchen and it is easier than you think to add in your diet. Any dish that calls for fresh lime, add some of this as well and give it a little extra zing especially to fresh salads. The benefits of this herb on digestive health are well known as evident in over-the-counter medicines that contain the peppermint used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion.
In general, mint contains menthol which is an aromatic decongestant so enjoying a soothing herbal tea made with lime mint could be very comforting as well when feeling the onset of seasonal allergies. Not sick? Brewing iced lime-mint tea or lemon-lime aide sounds just as amazing on the up-coming hot summer days! Do you see where I am going with this?
The versatility of this herb makes it a favorite in our garden. This is a plant you want to keep contained due to the spreading rhizome root system that can grow a good distance from the main plant with limited effort. Though this plant can overtake the garden it is a beneficial plant because it attracts pollenating insects to the garden and keeps the bad insects away. I was able to harvest the first batch of lime mint to begin an extract and reserved some for drying for future tea blends. Fresh Lime Mint Simple Syrup is now available to enjoy in your favorite beverages.
Try our Simply Ageless Golden Mojito recipe!