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Peppermint grows almost everywhere. Many gardeners call it a miraculous weed that spreads very quickly. If we want to make a syrup from mint that preserves the most beneficial substances, we should not boil it.
You may remember this kind of syrup from your grandmother
She may have put it in your tea when you had a sore throat or felt nauseous from your stomach. So if you make it yourself, you’ll have a great helper for stomach aches as well as poor digestion. It is also an ideal aid for sore throats, for the flu and colds; you can even enrich lemonades with the syrup, a summer drink, sweeten a dessert with it — you can use it in dozens of different ways. So if you have a large mint harvest, don’t wait and pick it for syrup. We recommend storing this delicious syrup in a dark, cool place, preferably in glass bottles.
What does mint contain, and what effects does it have?
We all know mint. It has the typical scent of peppermint and beautiful pointed leaves that contain up to two percent essential oils, of which the oils menthol and menthone are represented — approximately sixty percent. It also contains tannins, bitters, flavonoids and acetic acid. It is an effective and highly nutritious plant. It contains up to forty active substances. It is spicy and pleasantly cooling, perfect for summer refreshment. It can also support digestion and relieve constipation, soothe an irritated stomach if you eat something bad or hard to digest, can relieve tension and with regular drinking acts as an anesthetic, helps with headaches and menstrual pain, works preventively against heartburn and is perfect in dishes, drinks and desserts. Prepare a peppermint syrup that you can use for many purposes.
Prepare these ingredients:
- Peppermint 2 handfuls
- Lemon 1 piece
- Water 1 liter
- Cane sugar or preferably coconut sugar 750 grams – white can also be used
- Citric acid 1 sachet
Instructions for preparing the syrup:
First we would like to point out that you should obtain an organic (BIO) lemon without chemical treatment so you don’t have to drink syrup that contains pesticides and other chemicals that are bad for your health. Wash the lemon thoroughly and cut it into thin slices. Then wash the mint and pick off its leaves, which you will soak in previously boiled and cooled water. Now cover the water with the mint and lemon and let it steep until the next day. The next day add all the sugar to the syrup and pour it into a pot. Heat the mixture to no more than seventy degrees. At this temperature you will not destroy all the beneficial substances, and the syrup will also last longer. Once the sugar dissolves, strain out the mint and lemon and pour the syrup into glass, sterilized bottles. Turn them upside down and let them cool that way. Then store in a dark, cool place, preferably in the refrigerator or a cold cellar.
