Blossom's Wild Herb Lavender Farm

I get crazed when it comes to certain type of plant groupings. I get obsessed and need to collect them all.  MINT was one I had to find every fragrant and tasty variety - it is still a collection in progress, but now I have around twenty varieties and my newest is mojito mint from Cuba.  I hope to have enough Mojito mint by fall to offer for sale at my website.

Here is some interesting notes about MINT:
The Greek God Pluto, ruler of the underworld, fell madly in love with a beautiful nymph, Mentha. His jealous wife, Persephone, pounded her into the earth. Pluto then turned poor Mentha into a wonderful healing, fragrant plant that gave him some consolation.

Fresh leaves make a pleasant addition to hot or iced tea, garnish for beverages or fruit deserts. Mint is cleansing and makes a nice addition to herbal bathing products.

Folklore: To carry a few leaves in the wallet is said to attract money, stuff sachets with mint leaves to ward off disease.

Mentha
LEMON MINT
Description:     Lemon scented with slightly ruffled leaves, perfect for blending or using alone in herb teas and savory recipes.
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Mentha aquatica citrata 'Eau de Cologne'
Eau de Cologne (Orange)
Height: 24"     Zone: 3-9     Light: sun to part shadeDescription:     Refreshing citrus orange flavor and is tantalizing in teas, fruit salads and chasing those fleas and ants away. The oil is an ingredient in chartreuse liqueur and perfumes.
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Mentha avensis 'Banana'
Banana Mint
Height: 12"     Zone: 3-9     Light: sun to part shade
Description:     Pale green, slightly fuzzy leaves with the unusual fragrance of bananas, add to fruit salads, breads or as a garnish. Blend with chocolate mint for a great herbal blend to add to baking brownies.
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Mentha spicata 'Chewing Gum'
Chewing Gum Mint
Height: 18"     Zone: 3-9     Light: sun to part shade
 
Description: Extremely fragrant and flavorful, very similar to Wrigley's spearmint chewing gum.
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Mentha piperita citrata 'Lime'
Lime Mint
Height: 24"     Zone: 3-9     Light: sun - part shade
Description:   Bright green leaves with a strong lime scent and flavor. Great as a garnish were a lime flavor is required. Try it in your salsa recipe  or guacamole or toss a leaf in your margarita.
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Mentha citriodora x. M. arvensis
GRAPEFRUIT MINT
Height: Zone: 3- 9 Light: sun part shade
Description: Crinkled, light grapefruit-scented leaves with mild spearmint undertones.
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Mentha piperata 'Blue Balsam'
Peppermint 'Blue Balsam'
Height: 12"     Zone: 3-9     Light: sun to part shadeDescription:  Peppermint is an excellent digestive aid and has been used for the treatment of morning and motion sickness, as well as an inhalant to treat congestion. Flavorful herb tea, hot or cold. Blue balsamic is an improved peppermint with purple tinted, dark blue/green leaves; it has a much cleaner peppermint flavor.

THE REST OF ARE VARIETIES WILL BE POSTED WITH RECIPES==

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     There is no end to the diversity of recipes for making your own chai at home. Brewing chai is fun and allows you to experiment until you get it 'just right' for your own personal taste.
     Chai is basically black tea brewed with selected spices and your chose of low fat, soy, or whole milk. The aroma of spices shouldn't be overpowering; it should be almost like an incense experience. 
Make and use your spice mix by weight. For best results, use whole or broken spices, not ground!
To make 3 ½ ounces, start with about an ounce of shelled green cardamon and a half ounce of cinnamon bark. Then make up the balance of the weight from your favorites from this list; Whole Black pepper HOT, Ginger HOT,  Cloves, Coriander seed, Mace, Nutmeg, Star anise, Fennel, Bay leaf or Vanilla bean (vanilla extract). Some folks stew/boil the tea with the spices. Others stew the spices with the sugar or honey, then add and brew the tea, then add the milk. I like this slightly thickened texture.  I make it this way, stews the spices, then adds and brews the tea, strain, add honey  (at this point I can put extra in fridge)then stir in the hot milk.  It's your choice.

CHAI TEA BASE (to prepare six servings).
 4 T. whole spices. 
 ½ cup dark brown sugar or honey
 4 cups water
Remove from heat. Stir in: 2 T black tea or 3 T rooiboos
Bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes, strain. You can refrigerate this base up to a week. To serve, heat the base, add 1/4 to ½ to an equal amount of heated milk, (you may preheat milk 5 minutes in microwave - it foams). Stir well, serve with a sprinkle of cardamom.