Mint is one of those very old herbs that always seem to be in fashion. We all have memories of lamb roasts with sprigs of mint pushed into slits, of mint sauce, I remember a particular milk bar in the town I grew up ( and at which my mother worked in as an 18 year old) where they made the most delicious, creamy peppermint milkshake I have ever tasted. I love peppermint filled chocolate. Although there are many kinds of mint they all share similar characteristics. They are perennial, have leaves in pairs, whorls of small flowers from white to purple, have 4 sided stems and always a strong fragrant oil. You have to be careful where you plant mint as they grow underground with creeping rhizomes. It is best to plant them in a very large pot or a cut down 44 gallon drum. You can start new plants simply by pulling of a piece with roots on them and replanting in new soil. Most mints will tolerate dappled shade. Spearmint seems to suffer from a fungus disease which grown within the plant and eventually the lower shoots have orange specks. You need to take off the good stock then destroy the rest, make sure you replant in a new spot to avoid the plant being reinfected. You can dry mint simply by cutting stems just as the flowers are forming, hang in a warm area, airy place, when completely dry strip the leaves and keep in an airtight container.
Mint has been used for centuries in northern Europe accompanying duck, lamb and vegetables, in Middle Eastern countries they use it with yoghurt and Indians love it with their chutneys. Mint tea is universally used as a refreshing drink. It has also been used for medicinal purposes and antiseptics, mint is great for breath freshening.Pennyroyal can be crushed and rubbed on the skin as protection against mozzies and midges. How many kinds of mint have you heard of? Here are just a few, I have grown many of these and used to have an abundant supply for our restaurant