As the summer winds toward autumn, I find myself putting up produce for the fall and winter season. Even for the relatively small garden we have this year, it can be more than my family can consume. The out of control mint plant that has dutifully kept away spiders and cabbage moths all season is no exception. But what to do with all that mint? Our favorite way to preserve such bounty is to make mint simple syrup. Not only is mint syrup a wonderful ingredient in cooking, but it livens up holiday festivities as peppermint hot chocolate or mint glaze for baked goods.

Our dear friend Tamara introduced us to the idea of mint syrup. So, it feels appropriate to give her credit here. As the wife of the man who stood as best man at our wedding, we were very close and shared recipes and gardening tips alike. A phenomenal cook herself, Tamara’s favorite summer beverage was a mint julip. She would grow her own mint and make her own mint syrup for her drinks.

A fantastic and personal homemade gift, when Tamara and her husband moved to Atlanta, Georgia, she left us with several bottles of her homemade mint syrup largess. We have since learned how to make our own mint syrup. We have even paid the gift forward, bestowing friends with bottles of mint syrup as we ourselves moved, as a thanks for their help. A kingly gift for fellow chefs and foodies.

What Is Simple Syrup?

Simple syrup is essentially 1 part sugar to 1 part water. Typically, this equates to 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. The water is heated to dissolve the sugar completely to create a solution of sugar water.

Geek Alert!! At an atomic level, the atoms of the sugar molecule (C12H22O11) are already made up of 2/3rds hydrogen and oxygen. So, when dissolved in water, the carbon atoms remain in a stable mixture with the water (H2O). This means the sugar molecule will not separate from the water even when the simple syrup is stored long term.

You can also make a heavy syrup with a ratio of 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, or 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. this creates a sweeter and thicker solution similar to nectar. If, as mentioned above, you intend to use your mint syrup as a dessert glaze, I recommend this route.

Mint Syrup Recipe

If you’re interested, you can get more into the details about mint syrup, how long it keeps, what to do with it, etc. at the bottom of this post. I’m aware most of you who stumble across this post want the nitty gritty details about making this amazing syrup yourselves. (And who’s to argue?!) Just stay tuned after for some good follow-up info!

Ingredients

• A large bunch of fresh mint. The more the merrier.
• Sugar (how much depends on how much fresh mint you have, and your purpose for your mint syrup, i.e. desserts.)
• Water (usually equal to the amount of sugar you add, but also depends on what kind of simple syrup you want, simple or heavy.)

Kitchen Supplies

• Several emptied soda or water bottles
  • We use emptied plastic bottles because they expand best when frozen. You could use glass as well, especially if you’re going to gift to friends and family.)
• A large pot for boiling water
• Your favorite stirring spoon
• A large mixing bowl capable of holding the amount of water you pour in your pot
• A colander or pasta strainer
• A small, handheld strainer
• A funnel

Directions

First, Wash Your Mint

You always want to wash your produce before you use it in any recipe. Mint, despite being an amazing pest deterrent, is no exception.

1. Place your fresh mint in a large colander to rinse it in the sink.

• Remove the leaves from any large stems and set the stems aside. The stems don’t have as many volatile oils in them as the leaves do and may add an alkali flavor to your syrup. You don’t have to catch all the stems, just the ones that are woody and excessively long.

2. Once you’ve removed the bulk of your long stems, tear the mint leaves into smaller pieces. 

• The more surface area the leaves present to the water, the more volatile oils will seep into the syrup you’re making.

Prepare Your Simple Syrup

3. Measure your sugar into your pot and add the commensurate amount of hot tap water. Then place the pot on the stove to heat.

• You never want the sugar to burn on the bottom of the pot before it can dissolve into a solution. 
• The addition of the sugar will lower the temperature of the water, so you’ll need to turn up the heat a little while you stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Don’t let the water boil with the sugar in it, though. We’re making a syrup here, not caramel.
• Keep the solution to an even simmer and turn the heat down low once fully dissolved and the pot is clear again.

Put Your Friends Together

4. Add your shredded mint leaves to the gently simmering simple syrup. Stir them so they’re fully in contact with the syrup. Then cover the pot to keep the water from reducing too much. 

5. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes then turn the heat off and let the solution cool.

Strain the Mint Leaves

6. Place a large mixing bowl in the sink and a colander on top. Pour your mint syrup into the colander. The colander will catch the largest of the mint leaves and allow the syrup to pass through into the bowl. 

• Here’s where the size of your mixing bowl matters. Too small and it will overflow and you’ll lose some of your amazing mint syrup. 
• Once all the liquid is in the bowl, you can remove the colander and the majority of the mint leaves.
• Don’t throw away your mint leaves! Set the mint leaves aside on a paper towel to dry. The mint leaves may have given a lot of their flavor to the water, but they have some left yet. They’ve also taken in some of the sugar from the simple syrup and make an amazing mint tea. Bonus!

7. Strain your mint syrup a second time as you fill the bottles. Grab one of your bottles and place a funnel in the mouth then a hand strainer over the funnel. Gently pour the mint syrup through the strainer into the water bottle via the funnel. 

8. Only fill each water bottle 3/4ths of the way up.  You will need room for the syrup to expand when it turns to ice in the freezer.

9. Continue until all your mint syrup is in the water bottles. The last time my husband and I did this, we ended up with five bottles of mint syrup for a fairly large mint plant.

Does Mint Syrup Need to Be Refrigerated?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It depends when you’re going to use it. Mint syrup prepared this way can sit out at room temperature for a couple of days. Any longer, though and you run the risk of mold or bacteria setting in.

Best answer: Don’t just refrigerate it, freeze it. In the refrigerator, the mint syrup will last about 3 to 4 weeks. In the freezer, it will last years. You can always thaw it out a bottle at a time when you intend to use it. No harm done.

What Can You Make With Mint Syrup?

You can make a ton of things with mint syrup from your own garden. Mint syrup is an excellent additive to many meats as a tenderizer, a light and sweet flavor to refreshing beverages, and a wonderful addition to holiday traditions where peppermint often makes an appearance.

Lamb Roast in Mint Garlic Sauce

Once my husband, the chef, discovered mint syrup from our friend Tamara, he immediately had another use for it. Mint is a fantastic tenderizer for meat. As such, it makes even possibly gamey meats more moist and tender. Be sure to check out the recipe for Roasted Lamb in Mint Garlic Sauce on our companion blog EasyDecadenceKitchen.com.

Cocktails & Mocktails

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Tamara’s original purpose for growing mint and making mint syrup. That is, of course, for her favorite mint julip. A wonderful beverage in summer, our favorite is actually the Bourbon Smash, which I learned to make on a business trip to Roanoke, Virginia.

There are a variety of cocktails and mocktails that use mint simple syrup as an ingredient. For your reference, I’ve listed a few of them below:

• Bourbon Smash
• Mojito
• Mint Julep
• Lemon-Mint Gin
• Mint Lemonade
• Sekahnjebin
• Mint Hot Chocolate

Desserts

As mentioned above, mint syrup makes an excellent glaze for homemade baked goods. This is especially true during the holiday season when peppermint is a classic flavor. To use mint syrup as a glaze, you’ll need to reduce the liquid content of your mint syrup quite a bit and add butter and milk or cream to thicken it.

You’re a Mint Syrup Master Now

Armed with these steps, you’re ready to put away the mint on your porch for future recipes in your kitchen. Let us know if you tried it and how you used mint in your kitchen!