Did you know that mint can be used as a natural bug repellent around your garden? But butterflies and bees love it, which is great because we need our pollinating friends. It’s rich in nectar and pollen and helps to pollinate other plants and crops.

Some people use it for medicinal benefits. Please check with your doctor before you do that though, to make sure you aren’t allergic to it or if it interferes with other medications you may be taking. People with Gerd, or any acid reflux problems should avoid mint and mint water, as they can trigger their symptoms.

Some of the medicinal benefits that people use mint for are…
Stomach aches
Aides in digestion
Calms inflammation
Chew a clean organic mint leaf for bad breath, a natural way.
Mint tea with honey may improve cold symptoms.

Dried mint can be used for headaches, stomachaches, skin, hair and mouth odor.

To dry mint, just bundle up 4-6 stems and hang in an airy, dry and dark place.

You can even feed mint to your chickens, it has antibacterial qualities and is a good source of vitamin a.

One of my favorite things to use is natural organic mint to make a cleaning solution. Fill a jar with mint leaves, then pour vinegar to the top, you can add a pinch of cornstarch but that is optional. Cover with plastic wrap before putting on a metal lid, to help with corroding. We use plastic lids for some of our canning projects.

With all the harsh chemicals out there it’s always better to make our own safer cleaning products. Set jar aside for 3-4 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain when finished and use for mopping, or as a fabric softener. Just add ¼ -1/2 cup per load of laundry.

I thought this would be a fun post to write up because over the summer we discovered that one of the properties we are working on has all kinds of edible plants on it. Wild strawberries, mint, and mulberries. So far that’s what we have discovered. Seems like every week we discover something new there.

I found this really yummy cookie recipe for mint chocolate chip cookies on YouTube university. Here is the recipe in case you want to make some. I like that is uses butter and not Crisco/shortenings, which is so, so bad for us.

25 grams of organic mint leaves, rinse and clean.
½ cup of sugar.
½ cup of softened butter.
Blend all three ingredients until a smooth paste forms.
Then add one egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 ½ cup of flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt…mix until dough is formed then add 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll small dough balls spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Here is the link to this recipe. There is so much you can do with mint. Happy gardening everyone.