Mints do like to spread, so plant them in a pot, or where they have plenty of room to grow or where you can mow around them to keep them in check. Once you've established an herb garden, or even tucked in a few herb plants here and there (many of mine are free range, like chickens, and wander around the yard), you can enjoy years of harvests. Can't find chocolate mint at your local nursery? Via the wonder of the internet, you can order a chocolate mint plant online. (There are over 600 varieties of mint, so you have a lot of options.) Don't have fresh mint? You can also make mint extract with dried mint. (I do think catmint might taste a little funny.) Spearmint, gingermint and applemint would be lovely, I'm sure. You can use a similar method with whatever sort of mint you have on hand. Order a set of 4 ounce dark bottles here. Store in a dark bottle out of direct sunlight. Strain out the mint leaves and cacao nibs with a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth or flour sack towel. Store out of direct sunlight, stirring or shaking daily, for 6-8 weeks. (I used a recycled jam jar, but a cup or half cup canning jar would work well, too.)Īdd 1 tablespoon of cacao nibs per cup jar for chocolate mint extract, if you are using peppermint leaves, or if you'd like to add a little more chocolate flavor to your chocolate mint.įill jar with vodka to cover the mint leaves. Place chopped mint leaves in a small jar, enough so that the jar is filled but there is still some room for the leaves to wiggle and the booze to fit in. A little rough handling/smashing as you pack them in the jar also helps release the oils. Chop the mint leaves coarsely to create more surface area. I snip off the tender tops, and then strip the rest of the mint leaves from the stem by running my hand from top to bottom. We've have a LOT of rain here recently, so I didn't bother with a rinse. Get your leaves nice and dry before chopping them for extract. Keep in mind that any excess water will dilute the extract and may lead to spoilage. Remove any spoiled leaves and debris, rinse with cold water if needed and pat dry. Harvest mint in the morning after the dew has cleared. Printable Version of Chocolate Mint Extract Recipeįresh chocolate mint leaves -OR- Fresh peppermint leaves.
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