Too much mint?

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Helene : Do you have too much mint? Mine mostly covers (read : overwhelm) a small stone path, going under each stone and shooting minty spears here and there. It even manages to grow through a patch of giant hostas in the next plot! It's also in my lawn and althought I love the smell come mowing time, that's still a lot of mint to use. But exactly what can we do with so much mint? 

I thought I lost that frog,

but it was simply hidden in the mint!

Well, here's a simple idea  that uses quite a lot of mint, a useful thing for a plant so prolific that some consider it a weed.

Mint water! Simply fill a pitcher with mint stems & leaves, cover with water and refrigerate. Let it steep for at least a few hours before consuming. You will have water that's absolutely delicious and refreshing. It can seriously make a difference in those hot summer days.

Louise prepared hers with spearmint. It was light and refreshing. I tried it with peppermint ; this gives water a punch and a sweet taste of candy cane. Yum!

I have 4 types of mints on my property and so clearly need to try others then spear and peppermint. I have ginger mint and chocolate mint and am pretty sure these would also make great mint water! If you guys ever try it, let us know what's your favorite! Since then, stay refreshed!

A word from Louise :
I discovered this while in vacation in Amsterdam : my hotel, the Estherea, used to offer its clients a few refreshments around the clock, coffee, cookies and so on. During the summer months, mint water was always available, served in a beautiful refrigerated glass container, dripping from condensation...

These mint stems straightened up all by themselves and got over the pot's rim.
I put them there two weeks ago, already and they show no sign of deterioration whatsoever.
Their leaves are crisp and healthy and they exhale their characteristic smell.

One tip : each time you serve a glass of mint water, refill the pitcher right away with water. This way, the mint water will keep its taste one glass after the other. Also, the mint stems will stay fresh and alive, with a healthy green coloration for days, even a few weeks, giving you many litres of liquid freshness.

Whenever I taste this summer drink, it seems to me that it's more "alive" then plain water. So good !