10 Fun Things to Do with Mint This Summer
I think we've all had this happen at one time or another: you plant some mint and before you know it, you've got enough mint to feed a third-world country! I've learned my lesson and plant most of our mint in a container now to keep it from spreading, but honestly, I love mint and use it in so many ways on our farm that I am more than happy to let it grow like a weed. Here are my ten favorite ways to use mint.
1.) Fresh or dried mint in the nesting boxes and mint planted around the coop helps to naturally repel rodents that can spread disease and eat the chicken feed.
2.) I also make this Lavender Mint Coop Refresh Spray to help keep our coop smelling nice. It's a wonderful refresh spray for your home as well.
3.) Flies don't like mint much either, so I make these simple, cute fly repelling mason jars for our back patio in the summer ...
4.) and also this vinegar-based all natural Basil Mint Fly Spray for our horses, duck house and run area where the flies seem to congregate.
5.) Mint has natural cooling properties, so it makes for great iced tea in the summer. I brew this Vanilla Mint Iced Tea right in our coffee machine for an inexpensive, healthy summer sipper.
6.) Your chickens can benefit from mint's cooling properties as well with these Frozen Ice Cube Treats that are fun and easy to make.
7.) We eat eggs nearly every day and not just for breakfast. Next time you have steak and eggs for dinner, try this easy Basil-Mint Chiffonade as a yummy accompaniment.
8.) I also love using mint as a garnish for desserts, especially for this Tiered Blackberry White Chocolate Cheesecake.
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9.) Mint helps to keep breath fresh (hence all the minty gums and breath 'mints'), so I like to whip up a batch of these Blueberry Mint Dog Treats for our dogs on occasion.
10.) At the end of the season, I like to harvest all of the remaining mint and dry some to use over the winter using my handy DIY Herb Drying Rack and also make a batch of Mint Jelly to use as an accompaniment for a rack or leg of lamb.
There are many different varieties of mint including chocolate mint, orange mint, spearmint, grapefruit mint, mojito mint and lemon balm. You can use them interchangeably. Just avoid Pennyroyal; it's toxic.
Do you grow mint? What varieties? And do you have other ways you use mint around your coop, farm or home? I would love to hear them.
